Ghangapatna land does not belong to Odisha Forest dept: DFO

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Aug 25:

The eagerly awaited report of the divisional forest officer (DFO), Chandaka has made it clear that the controversial piece of land in Ghangapatna village on the outskirts of the Odisha capital belonged to Revenue department.

Controversial road to controversial plots
Controversial road to controversial plots

Though the land was categorised as ‘jungle kissam’ (forest type) in the records, it belonged to the Revenue department and had been categorized as anabadi, sources said quoting from the report. The Forest department had no claims on the said piece of land, the DFO reportedly clarified.

The controversial land had been earmarked for use by the public, the report said. On the contentious issue of the road constructed on the land, the report played it safe by saying it required further probe, the sources said.

The DFO’s report has paved the way for some leading ruling party politicians to wriggle out of the quagmire in the which they have found themselves in over the last week or so. In its assertion that the land was not forest land, the report has provided these politicians the escape route that they desperately needed.

“Once it is proved that it is not forest land, the whole case of usurping forest land falls flat,” said a source familiar with the affair.

 

 

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