BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra on Sunday gave a new twist to the controversial Bagala Dharmashala land deal by claiming that the beneficiaries of the ‘land for land’ policy are not displaced persons.
Dismissing the claim of Puri Collector Balwant Singh and BJD MP Pinaki Mishra that the land was distributed under ‘land for land’ policy as decided by the State Cabinet, Mohapatra said nothing is far from the truth.
Terming the deal illegal, the former minister said the State Government has bought the immovable property at exorbitant price. “It would not be appropriate to say that those who have been allotted plots as ‘displaced’ as they have been compensated more than twice the cost of their property,” he said.
Those who handed over their landed property for the heritage corridor project of Jagannath temple have been paid the cost of the property with 100 per cent solatium and transportation cost. “I don’t understand why the owners of the lodging houses that were demolished to pave the way for the temple beautification programme will be given plots from the Dharmashala land when they have been doubly compensated,” Mohapatra wondered.
Besides, the whole compensation deal goes against the State Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy. “Had the Government adopted same policy, many industries including Posco Steel would not have abandoned Odisha,” he remarked.
Recalling Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s announcement of a separate rehabilitation policy for the Puri project, the BJP leader sought to know what happened to the proposed policy and who allowed the district administration to pay compensation to the displaced persons before its announcement.
Claiming that a handful of IAS officers are taking all important decisions of the Government, Mohapatra said six months ago, ITDC was allowed to take up construction activities on the Dharmashala land. Now the Government has changed its mind and cancelled the order, he added.
Alleging that hundred of crores have been disbursed in Puri for acquisition of land for the heritage corridor project, Mohapatra dared the Chief Minister to direct a probe into the allotment of Bagala Dharmashala land to six persons as admitted by the district administration. He also demanded action against the bureaucrats responsible for the illegalities in land transfer.