Bhubaneswar: Over 2.67 lakh acres of government land have been encroached in 15 districts of the state from 2010 to 2020.
Revenue minister Sudam Marndi said, 6,38,128 persons have encroached upon 2,67,211 acres of government land in 15 districts including in Khurda over last 10 years. The government had registered 5,96,590 cases under the Orissa Prevention of Land Encroachment Act,1972 and Orissa Prevention of Land Encroachment Rules, 1985 against the encroachers, he said.
The 15 districts included Keonjhar, Angul, Bargarh, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Nayagarh, Sonepur, Ganjam, Puri, Kalahandi, Khorda and Dhenkanal.
Out of a total cases, verdict of 5,52,422 cases has been given and the government has been able to make 2,49,331 acres encroachment-free from 5,59,448 persons.
Replying to an un-stared question of BJP legislator Mohan Charan Majhi, the minister said the government has set a target to remove encroachments on 26,728 acres by March this year. The government will remove encroachments on 9648 acres in Bargarh, 2886 acres in Kalahandi, 2357 acres in Ganjam, 2113 acres in Koraput, 1526 acres in Jajpur, 1497 acres in Keonjhar, 1390 acres in Puri and 932 acres in Dhenkanal.
