RAYAGADA: Even as developmental activities in Rayagada are seriously stunted due to lack of land, Government apathy towards recovering huge amount of land occupied by an industry has fuelled disquiet among locals.They have demanded immediate recovery of land from the possession of Jeypore Sugar Company Ltd (JSCo) and put it to use for civic amenities and public facilities in the town.Despite ceasing operations since the last 24 years, the company has been occupying 787.83 acres in the heart of municipality area. The company has been holding on to the land even as Rayagada Tehsildar had directed it to return around 506 acres ceiling surplus land under the provision of Odisha Land Revenue (OLR) Act in 1974, they alleged.
The company had started a sugar factory on 787.83 acres in 1936 and also set up a Ferro Manganese plant in 1958. Following the Tehsildar’s order for restoration of the ceiling surplus land, the company had demanded 163.40 acres for slag dumping, 286.75 acre for establishing a textile industry, 70 acres for sugar cane research and 41 acres for factory expansion and 70 acres for staff housing. However, the plea was dismissed by the Orissa High Court in 1991 which only allowed 70 acres for housing and 41 acres for expansion activities.
The company then moved the Supreme Court which directed the Revenue authorities to exempt an area that they consider reasonable. “The land to be exempted as aforesaid will be out of the area covered under the provisions of the OLR Act being the Act in question,” the SC had ordered.The company again moved an OLR appeal against the order of revenue officer in 2014 which was dismissed by the appellate authority. The company then moved the High Court against above orders passed by revenue authorities and the matter is pending.
Meanwhile, an advocate S Venkat Rao of Rayagada filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against JSCo in which he stated that since the company is non-existent from 1993, the exemption granted to it for providing housing accommodation to its employees is no more required and they should be asked to make a fresh plea for the property under Section 52 of OLR Act.
One Kedar Panda, who is fighting to get back the land for town’s development, said neither the State Government nor local political leaders are showing interest in recovery of the unused land.Rayagada unit Manager of JSCo Radha Krishnan said, “the matter of land issue is sub judice and the company’s management is having a plan to develop the unused land, if the judgment goes in its favour. At present, the manganese slag, which was dumped on the company premises, is being sold to other companies”.