Process on to get back 57,000 acres of encroached land: SJTA
On 130 acres of land under possession of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) near Jatni in Khordha district will be developed a new integrated township with a large housing project by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA). It will have 200-foot-wide roads.
The prime land is part of about 27,000 acres of land belonging to the lord Jagannath identified in the district of Khurdha. It was recorded in the name SJTA last year. However, in a bid to increase revenue, the SJTA has entered into a pact with the BDA to develop the 130 acres of land for a new township and utilise it for commercial purpose.
The new housing project will be offered on 90 years of lease. The propose township is on the prime lands near several engineering and management colleges and is at a distance of 15 km from the Biju Patnaik Air Port.
However, in a bid to safeguard the interest of general public and Jagannath Mahapravu, the SJTA has requested people not to purchase/accept the land for mortgage etc as the same is illegal. Therefore, the purchasers will not have a legal right over the property. It is understood that about 57,000 acres of land, now under possession of mafia, have been identified and legal steps are being taken for bringing the land back to the SJTA ,sources said.