Puri: The district administration has registered cases against the owners of four under construction buildings being constructed on the fresh groundwater zones adjacent to the beach in violation the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) guidelines.
Assistant sub-collector Ramchandra Patnaik has registered the cases against Prasanta Panda of Goudabadi Sahi, Kanhu Charan Sahu of Matimandap Sahi, Ram Bez of Harachandi Sahi and Krushna Chandra Pujapanda of Matimandap Sahi under Section 144 of CrPC on the basis of a report submitted by Puri tehsildar.
The building owners have been asked to stop the illegal constructions and show-cause notices have been served on them. The case will come up for hearing January 22.
According to sources, many illegal constructions were found on Baliapanda and Balukhanda sweet water zones which are declared as protected zones where construction is not allowed. Although there is provision under section 19 of Environment Protection Act to file complaint in the court of collector or sub-collector against such constructions, initially the district administration did not take any action. Later, the Orissa Coastal Zone Management Authority (OCZMA) had directed collector Arvind Agarwal to take action against the owners of the buildings and who later passed the direction to the sub-collector to act in this regard.
Subsequently, the sub-collector directed Puri and Brahmagiri tehsildars to inquire into the matter and submit report. In his report, tehsildar stated that Prasanta Panda was constructing a building on 0.080 acre of land, Kanhu Charan Sahu on 0.050 acre of land and Ram Bez on 0.070 acre of land in Plot No 61 (P) in Baliapanda Mouza. Similarly, Krushna Chandra Pujapanda of Matimandap Sahi had been constructing building on 0.300 acre of land in Balukhanda Mouza.
While the tehsildar had recommended for filing of cases under the environment protection act, the assistant sub-collector registered the case under Section 144 of CrPC. However, sub-collector Madhusudan Das said that cases would be registered against the owners of the buildings under the environment protection act soon.
PNN
