Nayagarh, June 15: Land belonging to revenue and forest departments on Balaram hill here is being developed into residential plots by stone mafia and sold to gullible customers, according to a report.
Though a portion of the hill is being leveled with the use of compressors in broad day light, the administration doesn’t bother to take action to check the illegality, it was alleged. The mafia continue with their real estate business on the hill in connivance with tehsil officials, locals said.
According to reports, even as the administration has not auctioned the hills for a year now, the land mafia keep on blasting stones on the hill near Nayagarh bus stand that comes under forest and revenue department. Such activities are going on since March but it is yet to draw the attention of the administration. The mafia have leveled the hill and even laid road to lure the customers. They have collected lakhs of rupees from customers showing them fake land pattas, it was learnt.
The hill would no more be in existence if such destruction continues, some residents said. If government land on the heart of the town can be sold in such a manner, one can predict the fate of other revenue lands at interior pockets, they added.
When contacted, additional tehsildar Dilip Kumar Sarangi said the administration has not auctioned any stone quarry. He received complaints about the blasting of the hill, He said action would be taken against the accused after having discussions with the tehsildar, Sarangi added.
Nayagarh tehsildar Pratap Kumar Beura couldn’t be contacted for this story.
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