CUTTACK: A day after the arrest of former BJD corporator Ranjita Karan’s husband Niman Karan for allegedly duping several people of lakhs of rupees by promising houses in Andarpur Integrated Housing & Slum Development Program(IHSDP), the ruling party suspended the couple from its primary membership.
Ranjita, the working president of Cuttack City unit of Biju Mahila Janata Dal and her husband Niman from Choudwar-Cuttack Assembly Constituency were suspended from primary membership of the party to maintain its clean image and for illegal and unauthorised sale of houses under IHSDP of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), stated the letter issued by Cuttack district unit president Debashish Samataray. Meanwhile, the city unit of BJP in a press meet demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
“The local BJD leaders have illegally sold houses constructed for slum dwellers under Central government sponsored IHSDP at Andarpur by virtue of forged documents with prices ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh. How did the illegal and unauthorised activities go unnoticed by officials of CMC? Involvement of former and present MLA of Choudwar-Cuttack and CMC officials cannot be ruled out. Hence we demand a CBI probe into the scam in CMC’s IHSDP,” said president of BJP city unit Lalatendu Badu.
If efforts are being made to hush up the issue, the city unit of BJP will intensify its protest and hit the streets over the issue, he warned. CMC slum improvement officer Swetapadma Satapathy however said as many as 192 flats were constructed in four blocks of the buildings at a cost of Rs 27 crore under IHSDP to improve the conditions of urban slum dwellers who do not have access to adequate shelter.
While 69 houses were allotted, the rest could not be allotted due to a stay order being issued by a court due to different controversies. Taking advantage of the situation, Niman who had taken possession of 75 flats had sold 33 illegally. “We found unauthorised occupancy by 33 families who have been asked to shift to a transit house at Bidanasi.
As Niman had sold the flats misusing CMC’s name in the forged documents to commit the fraud, we have also filed an FIR against him with Madhupatna police station,” said Satapathy.