land misuse: Odisha Govt cancels five allotments

The State Government has cancelled the allotment of plots leased out to five persons. Since the five allottees, who had taken the Government land on lease to construct hospitals and nursing homes, are found to have been using them for private purpose, the Government cancelled the allotments, sources in the General Administration Department (GAD) said, adding that investigation is on in eight other similar cases.

The Government had leased out land to 44 persons between 1985 and 2006 to set up hospitals and nursing homes. However, the allottees were found utilising the land for their private purposes.The Health and Family Welfare Department, in a letter to the GAD in July last year, had informed that 13 persons who had availed the land are using it for private purposes.

Among the 13 allottees, the department had mentioned the name of Jyoti Routray, wife of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Bijayshree Routray, as one of the allottees.Acting on the letter, the GAD and the Health and Family Welfare Departments had begun a joint investigation and served show-cause notices to the 13 allottees.

While the GAD in the first phase has cancelled the leases of five allottees, it is going to take similar action against the remaining eight allottees, including Jyoti Routray, reliable sources said.