 "BJP sees plot by Odisha govt in Chandaka forest land grab case")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today launched a scathing attack against state government, alleging that it had paved way for land grabbing in Chandka forest area by issuing executive orders regarding land buying policies four years ago.
"You (The revenue department) had stopped the land settlement through a notification in 2010, cancelling the process in Khurdha, Jatani and Chandaka areas, and surprisingly, Ghangapatna village also comes in the area. Why did you de-notify the settlement process, which happens only in emergency situation? Why should you not come under the scanner for showing favouritism to the land mafia by cancelling the settlement process," asked senior BJP leader Bijaya Mohapatra in a press conference today.
In August this year, Mohapatra had highlighted the 76 acre land encroachment issue at Ghangapatna village in Chandaka forest area, at the outskirt of state capital. After his revelations, the state government has initiated an inquiry by the crime branch of state police.
The BJP said, the revenue department had helped the land mafia by halting the land settlement process in the area and hence, state government must clarify its stand over the decision.
"The people of Odisha have given you a clear mandate and hence, they need to know what was the motive of revenue department behind ordering cancellation of the settlement process. Though the state government has started to take some actions, the chief minister must make a statement in this regard," demanded Mohapatra in the press conference here.
The BJP has been alleging that the state government is trying to cover up its misdeeds by ordering an inquiry by state police, instead of recommending a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since many influential persons in the state government and from ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are involved in the matter.
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For example, Gokarneswar charitable trust, which had bought and sold land in the area between 2010 and 2012 to Sarvodaya real estate, has the same owner as the buying agency. The trust is owned by Pranab Balbantray, BJD MLA from Jajpur district and son of Rajya Sabha MP Kalpataru Das, a senior leader of the ruling party.
Apart from launching a crime branch inquiry, the state government has said that it will bring a law to prevent encroachment of government land within one month. But Mohapatra said such recommendation was made by the state law department two years, but the Chief Minister did not look at it for no ostensible reason.
"You sat over the recommendations of the Law department for the last two years. Now, you are trying to fool the people by saying that the government would bring a policy to stop the illegal land grabbing," said Mohapatra reiterating his demand for CBI probe.
BJD rebutted the charges of BJP over the involvement of state government in the land grab scam.
"The crime branch inquiry has started as per the instruction of the Chief Minister and so, we do not think there is a need for him to make any statement over the issue," said Samir Ranjan Dash, adding that CBI probe was unnecessary in the matter as the state government has already suspended several revenue department officials involved in the land encroachment case.