Gopalpur: Land sharks have encroached upon thousands of acres of farmlands in Tatadapali mouza under Kanishi tehsil in Ganjam district by luring the poor and the gullible in exchange of pittance, a report said.
As a result, farmlands are shrinking while illegal housing plots are increasing in the area. The land mafias are dividing illegally acquired land to make them into housing plots and sell them to interested buyers as homestead lands.
The illegal acquisition of farmlands will obstruct the flow of water from upstream to the farmlands along the downstream and will result in loss of crop and livelihood for farmers.
Things have come to such a pass that over 70 per cent of farmlands are now in the possession of land mafias. The seriousness of the matter can be gauged from the fact that house construction work is going on in full swing in over 50 acres of farmlands acquired in the area.
It is alleged that the mafias acquire thousands of acres of farmlands and turn them into housing plots without converting their status. The mafias influence the officials in Kanishi tehsil and the Kanishi sub-registrar’s office to register the lands in their name and, later, in the name of the buyers without converting the status of the land.
Local public representatives have written to the Chief Secretary of the State and the District Collector to intervene into the matter, but their pleas are yet to be addressed.
The land sharks allegedly use force to acquire farmlands in Kothasingh, Manikpur, and Tatdapali areas. The lands were earlier used by the local farmers for paddy cultivation.
The land mafia have also not spared the land adjoining the Rushikulya extension canal-10 and converted them into housing plots.
These illegal activities are only increasing day by day but no action has been taken yet to check the illegal acquisition of farmlands. Locals have demanded the intervention of the district administration and revenue authorities and initiate action against the land mafia.
PNN
