CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the government to chalk out a comprehensive plan for dealing with the encroachment issue in the state.
The single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi has asked the secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management department to file a detailed affidavit on the steps being taken to deal with the encroachers, both in the rural and urban areas of the state.
While hearing a petition seeking the court’s intervention against eviction proceedings, Justice Panigrahi said, “Had there been a concrete plan of action, encroachers like the present petitioner would not have been able to occupy the land unauthorisedly for last 30 years.”
“Therefore, it is imperative that the secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management and Urban Development department shall present a detailed plan for the next five years regarding eviction of the encroachers from the encroached land in the state.
They shall map the contour of encroachments in the entire state both in rural and urban areas. And, shall file the affidavit within a period of 10 days,” Justice Panigrahi specified in his March 20 order.
The petition was regarding eviction proceedings under Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment Act from a land in Bhubaneswar. The petitioner had challenged it on the ground that Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) had initiated action to evict him from the land under his possession just by mike announcement without serving any notice to him.
Justice Panigrahi posted the matter to April 10 while adding, “As an interim measure, it is directed that no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner till the next date.”