Taking a cue from Ghangapatna incident, irate people of Malipada near Khordha on Wednesday demolished a part of the boundary wall built around 44 acres of land in the village protesting the fraudulent act of the Puri temple managing Committee.
The mob pelted stones at the police as it tried to pacify them.According to the villagers, the Puri temple Managing Committee, Puri had grown cashew plantation on 62 acres of land with the help of the Soil Conservation department and vested the maintenance of the plantation with the village committee.
However, the managing committee later sold out 44.5 acres of land to the Delhi-based Raja Vidya Kendra at a throwaway price without the knowledge of the villagers.Though the villagers, after coming to know about the sale of the land, had informed the State Government through several forums yet no action was taken.Angered by the inaction of the Government, hundreds of villagers on Wednesday went to the spot and demolished the boundary wall around the land.
“We had advised the villagers to protest in a peaceful manner. But as they have taken the law into their own hand, police will initiate legal action against them,” said Khordha SP Dilip Das.