Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati Saturday demanded the return of land acquired for setting up a private university in Puri to its original owners.
The BJD-BJP coalition government in 2006 had allocated land to the Anil Agarwal Foundation to set up Vedanta University near Puri-Konark Marine Drive.
The project, however, failed to take off due to various reasons including opposition from local farmers whose land was acquired for the purpose.
In the assembly, Bahinipati urged Speaker Surama Padhy to issue a direction to the Odisha government to return the land acquired for setting up of the proposed Vedanta University, to their owners.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Bahinipati said that the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court had termed the land acquisition from farmers were illegal and directed that the land be returned to their owners.
The state government, however, has not done so, he said.
“I will consider the demand,” the Speaker said when Bahinipati insisted that Padhy give a ruling on the matter.
Bahinipati said Lord Jagannath’s land was also given for the proposed varsity project.
The Odisha government had signed an agreement with Vedanta Foundation for the university in 2006.
PTI
