Huge Corruption, Irregularities and Illegalities in allotment of land/plot by GA, CDA, BDA, Odisha State Housing Board in Twin City Bhubaneswar and Cuttack
1. In view of CAG report ( Report of CAG on General and Social Sector , Volume-2 and 3presented in 2013 and laid in assembly in 2014 ) 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 and IDCO and subsequent demand by Opposition parties and Civil Society Groups for CBI inquiry in form of street protest, the State Government 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 samefamily and allotment under discretionary quota to ineligible persons from 1995 to 2014 and submit its report within 4 months.
2. 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 Task Force Report came out with details of huge illegal allotment of plot by BDA, CDA, Odisha state Housing Board, pre and post-possession transfers of land by some people and multiple plots taken by the people by filling false affidavits. The Task force also made series of recommendations along with cancellation of all discretionary plots allotted by Minister for Housing and Urban development terming it as illegal.
3. 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.
4. After considering the recommendations, the cabinet inter alia has directed that the modalities of implementation of the report would be worked out in consultation with the Law department and the Advocate General within 90 days. On 6.5.15, after due consultation, the Govt. finalized Modalities for implementation of the recommendation of the Task Force.
5. The Chief Secretary also conducted several times the review meeting regarding progress and implementation of the recommendation of Task Force on multiple allotments of plots/houses/flats at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
6.In order to study the progress of Action taken by BDA, CDA, OSHB, Department of GA and Finance, RTI Application was filed several times to all the offices to get the information. All the PIOs have supplied the information within the month of April to June, 2018. The details of information provided by them are mentioned below.
7. Status of Inquiry by Bhubaneswar Development Authority
As per information supplied by BDA, Bhubaneswar , it is found that
i.732 nos. of Show-cause Notices relating to Discretionary Quota Allotments have been served to original allotteee by BDA. Out of it, 36 nos of notices returned unserved and pending for paper publications. 653 no. of Show cause replies received has been kept for hearing by the officers to be appointed by Government. Three writ petition cases have been filed by the allottees after receipt of show-cause notice.
ii. Show cause notices issued to 148 allottees under category of multiple allotments. Out of which 15 notices have been returned un-served. 11 no. of allotments have been cancelled. 108 no. of allottees have responded to Show cause notice and kept for hearing. 2 of them have filed case in High Court. Though allotment has been cancelled, but BDA has not brought it to its possession. These plots are still enjoyed by the people in possession.
iii. DSP( Vigilance) , Cuttack was handed over 332 nos. of Original Allotment files and all available general files of different schemes.
8. Status of Inquiry by Cuttack Development Authority,Cuttack
i. As per information supplied under RTI dated 18.6.18, CDA provided a list of 1091 allottees who have been issued show-cause notice in August 2016 on the ground of false affidavit, multiple allotments and land allotted under Discretionary quota.
ii. CDA has provided list of 12 nos of plots cancelled on ground of multiple allotment. But possession of plots have not been taken over till yet.
iii. Though 3 years have passed, CDA has not yet started hearing of the response of Show-cause notice issued to allottees.
9. Status of Inquiry by Odisha State Housing Board, Bhubaneswar
i. Out of 67 Discretionary Quota allotment, OSHB issued show cause notice to 66 persons except
one whose allotment was cancelled for other reasons. Not a single plot has been cancelled by OSHB till yet.
ii. Out of 37 multiple allotment cases, 25 persons have been issued show-cause notice and 12 allottees were not issued show cause as allotment was made made as per schematic provision.
iii. 15 cases have been referred to State Vigilance for inquiry.
iv. Three allottees have applied to OSHB for return of their land. They are Sajjal Kumar Moulick, Pranab Balabantaray and Snigdharani Sahu. It is very interesting to note that though they have applied to return the land, OSHB has not taken any steps to recover land from them.
10. Inquiry by General Administration Department
i. The modalities issued by GA Dept. for implementing recommendation of Task Force ( Para-IV) stipulates that GA Department should take immediate steps for review and update the list of allottees who availed the irregular benefit of more than one allotment of land /flat/ house against specific schematic provision on the basis of allotment made prior to 1.1.1995. This process should be completed within a period of 3 months. But GA Department has not yet prepared this list of allotment prior to 1.1.1995. it deserves to be mentioned here that allotment of 3000 plots was made in 1991 and 1992 under plotted Scheme “ Allotment of Residential Plots in new colonies within Bhubaneswar Municipality Area, 1989”. The list of 3000 allottees was not handed over to Task Force Committee despite their several requests. Even this information is also not provided under RTI Act. As because there is huge corruption and irregularities in allotment of the plots under the said scheme, the GA Department is not deliberately disclosing the list of 3000 allottees in public domain.
11. Status of Inquiry by Director, Vigilance, Cuttack
As the office of Director, Vigilance has been kept from the purview of RTI Act, we could not gather any information from the Vigilance Department. But as per the information supplied by BDA on 17.5.2018, it was found that Vigilance had been handed over 332 no. of allotment files for inquiry and so far 4 no. of cases have been instituted by Vigilance Cell, Cuttack. Similarly, as per information obtained from OSHB on 26.5.2016, 15 no. of allotment cases have been referred to State vigilance for inquiry. But no progress has been developed by State Vigilance in respect of inquiry into allotment of plots/land/flats.
12. Status of Special Audit by Finance Department
The Modalities prepared by Govt. for implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force stipulates ( Para – vii) that the Finance Department should conduct special audit in respect of the left out cases of multiple allotments as recommended by Task Force in Para 48(2) and to find out the actual number of discretionary allotment made after 1.1.1995 as recommended in Para 48 (5) of the Task Force and also of allotment made after 1.1.1995 as has been recommended in para 48 ( c) and only after the special audit is completed on all respected , the modalities for taking action against them has to be prepared as per law. As per information supplied under RTI on 24.1.18, Special audit Team was constituted as per the letter No. 29987/F dt. 21.11.2015. The Finance Deptt. have completed this special audit and the same report has been submitted to the GA Dept. for necessary action at their end. It deserves to note that though special audit Report has been submitted , Chief Minister has not taken any steps for years together.
( Presented by Pradip Pradhan in the Press Meet on Land Scam held in Bhubaneswar on 4.11.20)
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