ROURKELA: The move of Rourkela Development Authority (RDA) to auction another 46 plots in the posh Civil Township has met with stiff opposition from the local bar association.The Rourkela Bar Association (RBA) alleged that the decision has been taken to benefit a handful of rich people. The RDA move is in violation of the Odisha Government Land Settlement (OGLS) Act and ignores the housing need of the poor and middle class people. In a letter to the Odisha Chief Secretary and RDA secretary on July 1, the RBA has demanded to stop the auction and allot land as per OGLS Act.
RBA president Ramesh Chandra Bal said most of the land in the city are surrendered to the State government by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). The OGLS Act has specific provisions for reserving land under Rourkela Municipal Corporation jurisdiction for landless displaced persons, poor and middle income groups. The auction route would only enable a handful of moneyed people to get more land while the housing need of the economically backward and middle class people can never be fulfilled, he claimed.
Bal pointed out that the RDA has decided to go for auction when an inquiry is underway following a writ petition in the Orissa High Court alleging multiple irregularities in land allotment.
Rourkela city faces scarcity of land and there are instances of several members of one wealthy family illegally managing to get multiple plots. The RBA would take recourse to the court of law and agitation if the RDA went ahead with the auction, Bal said.On June 18, the RDA had notified auction of 46 residential plots in Rourkela Town unit 41 and 42 at Civil Township. The last date for inviting application is July 30 while the auction bid is scheduled for August 16.
It is learnt that 28 plots measuring 3,750 sq ft, one spread over 3,375 sq ft, three of 3,000 sq ft and another five of 2,625 sq ft are up for auction with offset/reserve price of Rs 1.29 crore, Rs 1.16 crore, Rs 1.03 crore and Rs 90.39 lakh respectively. Offset price of the rest nine plots measuring 1,725 sq ft to 2,475 sq ft are between Rs 59.40 lakh and Rs 82.64 lakh.In November last year, the RDA had auctioned 17 plots at Chhend Colony and received Rs 8.69 crore with a single plot of 2,760 sq ft fetching Rs 1.32 crore.