Status of ATR on Task Force Report on Land Scam in Odisha

Status of ATR on Task Force Report on Land Scam in Odisha

(Not a single plot recovered and   no action taken against anybody involved in land scam    by State Govt.  since three  years)

In view of CAG report about  alleged irregularities in allotment of land/houses/flats by Bhubaneswar Development Authority(BDA), Cuttack Development Authority (CDA),Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) and General Administration (GA) Department, the State Government had constituted a  Task Force  on dated 2.8.2014  to review all the allotment of more than one land/houses/flats to the members of the same family and allotment under discretionary quota to ineligible persons from 1995 to 2014 and submit its report within 4 months.  The Task Force led by Dr. Taradatt, Addl. Chief Secretary with the members such as Commissioner-cum-Secretary, H&UD Department and Special Secretary, Dept. of GA produced their report on 3.11.14. The report was placed before state cabinet on 18.12.14 and it was endorsed with   Action Taken Report   which was later on published in official Gazette on 30.1.2015. Three  years  have passed  since ATR, not  a single  land  has been   recovered  to Govt. fold  nor was   a single  allottee    arrested  by  the  Directorate of State  Vigilance. On 16.4.16 while  reviewing  the status  of Action taken  for  recovery of the  land allotted illegally  by BDA, CDA, OSHB and GA, the Chief Secretary  has   informed the press that 11  plots have been cancelled by BDA. CDA  has issued notice to 1091  for cancellation of plot allotted under DQ.  After this news was published,    RTI  Application  in June 2016 was  submitted  to  the  General  Administration Department, Bhubaneswar Development  Authority (BDA), Cuttack Development Authority (CDA),  Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB)  seeking  information about  details of  land  recovered  from the  people  who have  illegally taken the  land  or allotted under  Discretionary  Quota  and   name  of the  people  who returned the land and Action Taken  against the  people  who have taken  multiple  plot  by filling false  affidavit. While   BDA    refrained from  disclosure  of   any information,  CDA  provided   a list of  1091 allottees  who have  been issued  show-cause  notice in August 2016. No information was obtained from the General Administration Department.  State Vigilance  denied to provide any information  as the matter is under investigation. On 20.8.16, Odisha State Housing Board  provided the  information  that  66 people  allotted land under Discretionary Quota  and 24 people  taking multiple plots  by filling false affidavit  have been issued  show-cause notice.  The PIO denied  to disclose their names  as the matter is under investigation  by State Vigilance.

Similarly, again RTI Application was filed  to OSHB, BDA , CDA   to get the information about details of land / plot recovered   and action taken against illegal lease holders. On 4.12.17, the information provided by the PIO  is  that   show cause  notice has been issued  to 921  lease holders.  Not  a single plot  has been recovered.  But 12 no of plots  has been cancelled  on ground of multiple allotments. On 18.9.17.,  the PIO of OSHB  has provided the information that show cause notice has been issued  to 66 persons  allotted plot under DQ  and  24 persons  allotted multiple plots . But  no action  has been taken against them.  Similarly,  though  3 persons like Pranab Balabantaray, Snigdharani Sahu and  Sajjal Kumar Moulick  have applied for return of land, no  step has been taken  by OSHB  to get the land returned back. BDA  refused  to provide any  information about cancellation of  plot and name of the persons who have been issued notice. GA dept.  has not taken any steps  to list out  the  lease holders who have taken land during post-1995 period.

The details of Status of ATR is as follows.

Recommendation by  Task force	Action Taken  Report  declared by Govt.   in Dec. 2014	Present Status
1. All such plots allotted by Government in GA Department, BDA, CDA and OSHB should be resumed, if the allottees have failed  to construct houses within stipulated five years.	It  was accepted  by Govt.	No Action  has been taken till yet.
2. BDA, OSHB and GA Department in conjunction with each other should take up another exercise to obtain comprehensive details including the allotments made prior to 01 .01 .1995 to know the exact extent of individuals and families who have taken undue benefits of multiple allotments against the schematic provisions. Similar exercise is  to be  conducted  for Cuttack by CDA and OSHB together.	BDA, OSHB and GA  Department  will examine  the allotments  made prior  to 1.1.1995  at  Bhubaneswar  to determine  the exact  list  of allottees  who have  availed  the irregular  benefit  of more than  allotment  of land / flat/ house  against  the specific  schematic  provisions. CDA  and  OSHB  will make  similar exercise  for cuttack urban areas.  The Exercise  will be completed  within six months.	Not  a single step has been taken  by the BDA, CDA and OSHB  till yet.
3. Independent investigation/audit is necessary to quantify  the actual number of multiple allotments of plots/houses/flats by GA Department, BDA, CDA and OSHB against Affidavits/ Applications, both false and not false.	List  of  multiple  allotments  pointed  out by Task force  has been made  on the  limited  information supplied by BDA, CDA and OSHB. Finance Department therefore conduct a special audit of all  left out cases  of  multiple allotments  as recommended by task Force. Action should be taken  by the  concerned authorities  against the allottees.	Finance Department has not come out  with any audit report  till yet.
4. Beneficiaries who submitted false Affidavits/Declarations to get   allotments should also be proceeded against under the relevant provisions of law. The plots/houses/flats allotted to them should either be put to auction or allotted to deserving applicants through   lottery.	General  Administration  ( Vigilance)  Department  will  enquire  into those  cases  of  multiple allotments  to individuals/ families  where  such  allotments  have been  made  on the  basis  of false  affidavits  or  misleading  information  in violation of  specific    schematic  provision  and initiate  criminal action.	As per the information supplied by the Govt. ,   State Vigilance  has started  the enquiry. But  not  a single  land has  been recovered  and nobody has been arrested till yet.
5. All the  discretionary  allotment  made      after 1.1.1995  should be cancelled as such allotments  have been  invariably given undue Benefits  to  undeserving persons. Many well-placed and   connected individuals have received discretionary allotments more than once from BDA, CDA, OSHB.	BDA, OSHB, CDA and GA  Department  should cancel  the  multiple allotments, additional units allotted  to ineligible  individuals/ families  as pointed out  by the task Force  in its report  and resume the same  to the  concerned authorities.	Not a single Discretionary allotment has been cancelled.   BDA, CDA and OSHB could not supply any information under RTI.
6. Since the  lists of DQ allottees have been prepared on the  basis  of limited information  supplied by BDA, CDA, OHSB, further independent investigation/audit is recommended to be undertaken to find out the actual size of discretionary allotments  including those  not  placed  before the Task Force for discovery.	Finance  Department  will conduct  a special  audit  to find out  the actual  number  of discretionary allotments  made  after  1.1.1995  including those  not  placed  before  the Task Force  as recommended  by Task force.  Action should be  taken by  the  concerned  authorities  against these  left  out cases.	Finance Department  has not come out  will  any  special audit report till yet.
7.  Cancellation of all such   pre-possession transfers except in the event of death of the allottees  and  fixation of accountability  against  the  officials who granted permission   transfers. As regards post-possession   transfers,  the Task Force recommends  that such transfers by Discretionary Quota allottees  and multiple allottees should also be  cancelled.	BDA, CDA and  OSHB  should cancel  all allotments of  plot/house/flat under  Discretionary Quota  made  under  different schemes  after 1.1.1995 including  their  pre and post-possession  transfers  and the  plots/houses  and flats  should  be  resumed  to the  concerned  authorities.	No step  has been  taken  till yet.
8. The BDA, CDA and OSHB may be called upon to explain as to how they have permitted transfers of plots/houses/flats by allottees    without approval of the General Administration Department/ Revenue  and Disaster Management Department i.e., lessor. Stringent action may be taken  for permitting pre-possession transfers.	Nothing is mentioned in ATR.	No action Taken.
9. Recovery  may be made from allottees who have disposed the plots/houses/ flats  allotted to them    including  under Discretionary Quota and have applied and succeeded in getting allotments again including discretionary quota.	BDA, OSHB, CDA and GA  Department  should cancel  the  multiple allotments, additional units allotted  to ineligible  individuals/ families  as pointed out  by the task Force  in its report  and resume the same  to the  concerned authorities.	Not a single  land/plot  has been recovered  till today.
10. Allotment of plots/houses/flats without evident publicity or by notifying the scheme only on the office Notice Board needs to be viewed seriously and cancelled. Those responsible for implementing such scheme should be proceeded against departmentally and criminally.    Disciplinary action should be taken for implementing    schemes exclusively for the employees of the implementing agencies concerned and all such allotment should be cancelled.	Not  anything mentioned  in  Govt. ATR
11. Steps should be taken in a time bound manner for addressing the specific irregularities in the segment of the report.   The land meant    for housing but allotted otherwise   (for example, about 20 Ac.  Of such land had been given to SoA University by BDA) and land given for institutional purpose       but used for housing and otherwise should also be resumed.	G.A. Department  will work out  the modalities  of implementation of  the  Task Force  report  in a time bound manner  in consultation  with Law Department  and the Advocate  General.  This  exercise  is to be  completed  within 90 days.

Pradip Pradhan

State  Convener, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan

M-9937843482

Date-21.12.17