Two days after the Supreme Court’s order in the case of encroachments by Odisha Olympic Association (OOA), the Cuttack tehsildar clarified again on Saturday that the controversial Barabati Palace (marriage hall) and the 23 adjoining shops have been constructed on Government land and not on the lease land of the OOA. “The land on which Barabati Palace and 23 shops adjacent to it are constructed had never been leased out to OOA. The marriage hall and the shops were constructed without Government’s permission,” Tehsildar Abanikant Patnaik told mediapersons.
He further clarified that a case regarding the encroachment was registered in 1991-92 and the then tehsildar had directed for eviction of all the business establishments on the encroached land. However, the OOA filed a civil suit against it and the case subsequently reached the Odisha High Court and later the Supreme Court, Patnaik said. However, demarcation of the place would be done again as per the SC directive and a report would be submitted accordingly, he added.