BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday dared the State Government to take action against senior BJD leader and former Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy for allegedly grabbing Government land worth over Rs 100 crore.
Showing documentary evidence, State BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra accused Maharathy of encroaching Government land adjoining his farmhouse at Hunkeipur in Pipli of Puri district.
“The estimated value of the encroached Government land is worth Rs 100 crore,” Mohapatra told a media conference here.
Unauthorised occupation on Government land is cognisable offence under Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment Act, 1972 and Odisha Communal Forest and Private Lands Act, he said.
What is baffling is that the Government is fully aware of it but silent on the issue, he said.
The BJP leader also brought similar land grabbing charges against senior Congress leader and former MLA Yudhistir Samantaray.
He alleged that Samantaray had illegally acquired 56 acres of ‘gochar’ land in Pipli tehsil estimated to be around Rs 300 crore in the name of a relative and his close associate.
He said Samantaray had moved Orissa High Court in 2015 against Maharathy over the alleged land grab case. Though the court had asked the Collector to resolve such issues within two months, no steps were taken in this regard.
Once bitter political opponents, Maharathy, the sitting MLA from Pipli, and Samantray have been getting cosy of late, alleged Mohapatra.
While the Government is making tall claims of transparency through its 5T model of governance, Mohapatra asked the Government to prove him wrong or take action against the two leaders.
Reacting to the BJP allegations, Maharathy said, “Let BJP allege whatever it wants to but the Government will take a decision.” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi said, “I have no official information. I will look into it if the matter was brought to my notice.”