BHUBANESWAR: Amid allegations of irregularities in allotment of land for construction of Sankha Bhawan, the BJD party headquarters, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said the state government will fully investigate the matter and take strong action against the guilty.
Sankha Bhawan has been built in Unit VI area of the city in Ganganagar mouja on 1.183 acre of land spanning four plots, 797 part, 798 part, 800 and 797/840. While the first three plots are of Gharabari Kissam, the fourth plot is of Sadaka Kissam. The total land was given on lease to the BJD during the previous government. It has been alleged that while the market value of the land is more than Rs 100 crore, BJD was allegedly provided at a throwaway price of only Rs 12.94 crore which is much less than the benchmark price.
The minister said all these matters will be thoroughly investigated. “If Kissam of land has been changed, strong action will be taken. The government will also probe the price angle,” he said.
However, the BJD dismissed the allegations and stated that there was no irregularity in the lease deed and construction of Sankha Bhawan. BJD spokesperson Debi Prasad Mishra told mediapersons that the price was fixed by the government as per benchmark value.
The high power committee presided over by the then chief secretary allotted 1.183 acres land as per the application submitted by the then organisational secretary of the party Pranab Prakash Das. In the same meeting, 1.269 acres of land was also allotted to BJP in Kharavela Nagar area of the city.
Mishra said the conservancy lane between the two quarters allotted to the BJD was provided as institutional residency as per rule 8, sub-section 4 of the Orissa Government Land Settlement Act. “The minister’s statement that this is Sadaka Kissam land is not based on fact,” he said.