Barabati Palace on ‘encroached land’, says Odisha official

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, May 9:

Barely two days after the Supreme Court directed to constitute a judges’ panel to probe into alleged land encroachment by Odisha Olympic Association (OOA), the Cuttack Tehsildar today reiterated that the litigious properties have come up on government land.

“The land on which Barabati Palace and 23 shops has been erected was never leased out to Odisha Olympic Association (OOA). These shops and the Barabati Palace (Kalyan Mandap) stand on government land which has been constructed without permission,” Cuttack Sadar Tehsildar, Abanikanta Patnaik maintained.

An encroachment case was filed against OOA during 1991-92 and the then Tehsildar had also directed for eviction of illegal encroachments. Following this, OOA had filed a civil case in High Court and subsequently the matter reached the Supreme Court, Patnaik revealed.

As per the orders of the apex court, demarcation process of the disputed land will be initiated again and a report will be submitted to it.

Earlier on Thursday, the court had also directed Odisha Accountant General (AG) to submit a report on the financial transactions pertaining to Barabati Palace and other business establishments adjacent to it allegedly built on land encroached by OOA.

As per the directives, a three-member committee headed by the district judge, Cuttack with two more additional judges nominated by the acting Chief Justice of Odisha High Court will conduct an on-spot-inquiry. The chief secretary and Revenue secretary have been directed to cooperate with the panel in its inquiry.