Odisha civil rights bodies demand CBI probe into Twin City land scam

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Aug 3:

Members of four organisations based in the Odisha capital today demanded a CBI inquiry into irregularities in the distributions of land in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Briefing newsmen here, members of Navanirman Samiti, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan (OSAA), Odisha Durniti Sangharsha Samiti and India Against Corruption (IAC), Odisha said the State Government had been misusing the provision of discretionary quota to allot land in the Twin Ccity to influential persons through the General Administration (GA) department from 1980 onwards.

The CAG report tabled in the Assembly recently had unearthed the irregularities in land allotment from the year of 2000 to 2012 only, but an investigation should be ordered to uncover the rampant corruption that started from 1980, they added.

OSAA convener Pradip Pradhan said the CAG report had talked about irregularities of only Rs 252 crore between 2000 and 2012, but the actual amount of corruption would go much higher if the CBI probed the irregularities from 1980. The State Government has shown innumerable favours to influential people during these years, he added.

“The Task Force formed under the direction of the Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to probe the alleged land allotment scam is just an eyewash,” said Pradhan.

Pradhan said the ruling party cannot be expected to take action against its MLAs or party people and therefore a Central agency like the CBI should take up the case.

Other members Uma Shankar Mishra, Dr Kulamani and Malay Mohanty also suggested that the State Government should appoint a retired judge to head a committee that would investigate the irregularities in land allotment.