Post News Network
Joda/Keonjhar: The district administration Friday conducted a demolition drive on the five acres of government land at Unchabali under Barbil tehsil that were illegally occupied by Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud in line with a Supreme
Court order.
The administration pulled down some structures during the drive but spared a temple and a banyan tree.
Officials reached the place Friday at 9.30 am and started razing structures on Plot No. 28 of khata 172, according to reports. Six machines, including bulldozers, rock breakers and excavators, were engaged to demolish a 25-ft high boundary wall, a cowshed, a storehouse, and several other structures that had been built on the government land.
The administration had a tough time in pulling down the boundary wall, which had been fortified with concrete pillars and slabs. The difficulty in the demolition of the wall was evident as by 11 am only a stretch of 100 feet of the wall had been pulled down.
The demolition was conducted in the presence of collector N Tirumala Nayak and superintendent of police Kabita Jalan who braved the scorching heat to supervise the drive.
Senior officials of the revenue department and more than 60 senior police officials were also present during the demolition drive.
The MLA, who was present at the site, played the religion card. Despite the temple not being pulled down, Mahakud said the demolition drive was a blow to the Hindu religion. Mahakud has also sought time to shift the cattle from
the sheds.
The drive was conducted with the support of 25 platoons of police personnel who were deployed at the site to maintain law and order and prevent the supporters of Mahakud from creating a disturbance there.
The district administration had, as a precautionary measure, earlier imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of IPC in the area for 15 days. Police conducted checking of people at a radius of 3 km from the site to prevent any untoward incident.
The stringent measures ensured that there was no disruption of law and order during the demolition drive, said the collector. The drive will finish as soon as possible, he said.
Keonjhar ADM Sangram Keshari Swain stated that all structures except a banyan tree and a temple are being demolished on the 5-acre plot, while a case is sub judice at the High Court over 20 decimal of land where a palatial building, office and other buildings have been built.
Officials and local people were shocked to see ACs fitted in some cowsheds and goat sheds, which will be demolished while people in the area do not have a roof over their heads.
Residents of the area also alleged that Mahakud has felled trees and excavated huge quantity of minerals for the foundation of his house and protective walls. However, there was no trace of the excavated minerals that are reported to be worth crores of rupees.
The people accused the forest department and mines department officials of inaction with regard to such mineral loot and sought a high level probe into it.
