The Revenue Department has turned a blind eye to an unauthorised construction on a patch of Government land near the Old bus stand on Khata no. 1 and plot no. 276 despite court orders.
According to sources, the land is spread over an area of 3.27 acres out of which some parts were given on lease to some beneficiaries long back but subsequently, the lease was canceled and the entire land was once again taken into the Government khata. later, some persons encroached upon it by constructing shopping complexes, thereon and the Revenue Department has initiated encroachment cases against them under the provisions of OPlE Act. But a person whose lease was cancelled earlier claiming to be the owner of the land on the plot evicted the encroachers by the help of local revenue officials and sold the same to some other persons, alleged K Pravakar Rao, a denizen of that locality. He further alleged that the entire land in Khata no. 1 belongs to the Revenue Department and the lease earlier given to the beneficiaries was canceled.
He further alleged there is a nexus between the local revenue officials and the persons having vested interest therein that requires a high level inquiry by the Vigilance Department. The aggrieved encroachers who have been evicted from the land have moved the Orissa High Court by filing a writ petition for settlement of land in their favour under the provisions of OPlE Act. The court while accepting the writ petition has issued notice to the local tehsildar and five others and as an interim measure, the court directed to maintain status quo over the site in question till the next date of hearing.
But despite the court order communicated to the local tehsildar and to the parties, still people continue to construct a shopping complex thereon and the Revenue Department remains a mute specter, fumed petitioner Prakash Ahuja.