A united forum of 28 civil society organisations here on Monday threatened to hold a mass agitation in front of the State Assembly on March 30 in protest against the State Government’s failure in taking legal action against the high profile people involved in the multi-crore land allotment scam in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The forum alleged that a secret understanding has been made between top BJD, BJP and Congress leaders not to raise the issue in the Assembly anymore.
“In its last report, the CAG had exposed massive irregularities in allotment of land and houses in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Following the revelation, political parties and civil society groups had demanded a CBI inquiry into the scam. However, the Government constituted a Taskforce headed by Dr Taradatt (Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue). Though several months have elapsed after the submission of the report, the Government is yet to arrest a single person and restore a single land/plot being occupied illegally,” Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan convenor Pradip Pradhan told a news conference.
Highlighting the forum’s six-point charter of demands, Pradhan said the Government should take immediate legal action against those possessing Government plots and lands and still staying at Government quarters. “If the Government does not vacate them, the activists of the civil society organsiations will gherao the house of Chief Secretary GC Pati and many other top bureaucrats,” warned Pradhan.
“We demand amendment to the land Grant Policy as it has no provision of reserving land for general people in Bhubaneswar,” said rights activist Pratap Sahoo. The forum also sought a public debate on the proposed Prevention of land Grabbing Bill.