Odagaon: A former employee of the Khadi Production Centre near Gandhi Park on Block Office Road under Odagaon NAC in Nayagarh district has encroached upon the centre for several years.
Locals alleged that the accused former employee is earning lakhs of rupees from this government property because the administration is yet to take any step to remove the encroachment.
According to local residents, hundreds of people had staged a demonstration in 2017 demanding the property be reclaimed. Acting on the direction of the District Collector, the then tehsildar asked the encroacher to demolish the unauthorised construction through public address system.
In 2003, acting on the direction of the Chief Secretary, the local revenue inspector submitted a report mentioning the landed property is encroached upon to then additional tehsildar and asked him to take stringent action to free the property.
Since no steps have been taken in this regard so far, the encroacher is using the property for personal benefits. Meanwhile, he has replaced the tile roofs of the shops with concrete roofs.
Anchalika Bikash Parishad, a local outfit, has been protesting against this. October 28, the group submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar Bijayita Samantasinghar and forwarded a copy each to Panchayati Raj, Law, Housing and Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central Division) and Collector.
When contacted, tehsildar Samantasinghar said the revenue inspector has been asked to submit a detailed report on the issue. Once the report is received, steps as per the law will be initiated.
PNN
