Irate Odisha villagers pull down boundary wall, pelt stones at police

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Khordha, Aug 27:

Tension ran high at Malipada village near Khordha in Odisha as irate villagers demolished a boundary wall around 44 acres of land and later pelted stones at the police while protesting the fraudulent act of the Puri temple managing committee.

According to reports, the Puri Shri Jagannath Temple Managing committee had grown cashew plantation on 62 acres of land with the help of the Soil Conservation department. It had vested the maintenance of the plantation with the village committee.

However, the managing committee later sold out 44.5 acres of land to a 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 lodged their protests with the state government through several forums, there was no action taken.

Angered by the inaction of the government, hundreds of villagers today went to the spot and demolished the boundary wall around the land.

Following information, a team of policemen of Jankia police station rushed to the spot. However, the police had to leave the place as the irate villagers pelted stones at them.

“We had advised the villagers to protest in a peaceful manner. But as they took the law into their own hand, police would initiate legal action against them”, said Khordha SP Dilip Das.