BARGARH: Traffic on Bargarh-Bhatli road was disrupted for over five hours on Tuesday as farmers and residents of Khedapali village staged a blockade to protest hooliganism of land mafia and illegal sale of farmland.
As per the farmers, a land mafia fraudulently acquired their land without their consent and covered large tracts with standing paddy crops, almost ready to be harvested with soil. Reportedly, a joint property spanning over 11 acre was owned by several farmers of Khedapali. While some shareholders sold their portions, others refused. However, the protesters alleged recently they found that the entire plot was sold without their signatures or consent. Subsequently, on Monday night the land mafia which fraudulently acquired the land filled a large portion with soil. The overnight destruction and loss of crops has left the farmers devastated. Disturbed by the incident, some farmers arrived at the protest site with bottles of pesticide threatening to commit suicide.
Ananda Pradhan, an affected farmer said, “I had an ancestral land and it was my only source of livelihood. Recently I found that the entire patch of land was sold without my consent? On Monday, I had been to the office of the district collector and police to seek help. But I had to return empty-handed. I have lost everything and want my land back along with compensation for the crop loss.”
Bargarh sub-collector Prasanna Kumar Pande said, “After getting the report, we called the Steel and Mines department, and the sand mafia’s vehicles have been seized. It is indeed illegal and action will be taken as per the rules. We visited the spot, and inquiry is underway. I had received some complaints regarding the land dispute. We have now asked other complainants to reach out to us for discussions.”
The protesters claimed the land mafia is backed by political leaders. “A couple of days back, they came with 80-90 hooligans, some carrying firearms and threatened to kill us. When people tried recording their act, they snatched and broke their mobile phones,” said Alok Pradhan. He added, “We want an impartial investigation into the incident and strict action including the arrest of the person behind this.”