updating Huge Irregularities in allotment of plot/land in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack

 

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)

Updating Ghangapatna Land Scam in Odisha

 

Crime Branch Inquiry into Ghangapatna Land scam of Odisha  at Crossroad !

Innocent Tribals (seller) were arrested, the officials involved in land transaction were arrested   but the high-profile Buyers (politicians) were protected by Crime Branch.

 

 1.      Background of Ghangapatna Land Scam

In August, 2014,   the locals of Ghangapatna, a village located outskirt of Bhubaneswar  about 15 kms  away from state secretariat of Odisha  alleged that   huge acres of tribal land had been   illegally  acquired  by  late Kalpataru Das and his MLA Son Pranab Balabantaray  and Sri K.V.Singhdeo, BJP MLA in name of her daughter and many powerful people  connected  with Ruling  party   Biju Janata Dal in Ghangapatana  area    under jurisdiction of Tahasildar, Bhubaneswar.  After this expose and subsequent media coverage,  all the opposition political parties and Civil Society Groups    organised  protest   dharana demanding CBI inquiry  into this scam.  It is popularly  known as infamous Ghangapatna land Scam in Odisha.   In the midst of protest,  to  pacify  the  rising  public anger  against  the  Govt.  Chief Minister  declared  that  Crime  Branch  would  conduct  inquiry  into it   in the  month  of August, 2014.    Just   after few days,   the Govt. declared  that  70 acres of  land  of Ghangapatna returned  back to Govt. fold.

2.  Use of RTI – A Tool  to verify authenticity  of  information disseminated  by Govt.

On 9.9.2014., the  Crime Branch lodged   complaint   (Case No. 22 dated 9.9.2014) , registered under section 120(B)/420/467/468/471 IPC  and  started  inquiry  into  it. After  few  days , it  was reported  in media  that  Crime Branch  had returned back  all land  to  Govt. khata.  To  verify the authenticity of  information, two RTI Applications dt. 19.9.14 and 31.12.14   were  submitted  to the PIO,  Office of Revenue and Disaster Management, Govt. of Odisha, Bhubaneswar   seeking information about details of  Ghangapatana land  returned back to  Govt. khata.   

 The  PIO  forwarded  both the RTI Applications  to the PIO, office  of Collector, Khurda  which  was  eventually  forwarded  to the PIO, office of  Tahasildar , Bhubaneswar  to supply  the  information.  On denial of information  by the PIO, office  of Tahasildar, Bhubaneswar ,  Second Appeal  cases were  filed  in the  office  of Odisha  Information Commission which were  registered  as  SA Case  No. 284/15 and SA  Case  No. 1655/2015.

 3. Hearing  of  SA petitions  by  Sashi Prava Bindhani, SIC  and  Mockery  of  Odisha  bureaucracy  with  tacit  support  from the Commissioner -  An  Interesting  story

After  two years, the  hearing  of  both  the  Second Appeal  petitions  SA  No. 284/15  and SA No. 1655/2015  was  started  by  Mrs. Sashi Prava Bindhani, Odisha Information Commissioner from 9.2.17. The  Commission  heard  the  case  twelve  times (  within period of  one  and half year )  on 9.2.2017, 14.7.2017, 16.8.2017, 8.9.2017, 3.10.2017,  29.1.2018, 9.2.2018, 16.4.2018, 15.5.18,  26.7.18, 6.9.2018 ( date of disposal). The reason  behind  fixing  so many  dates  for  hearing  of the cases   is   that  though  the  Commission repeatedly  issued  notice  to the PIO, office  of Tahasildar , Bhubaneswar,  he /she  neither  responded the  Commission nor  filed  any  submission  in respect  of  compliance  to RTI Application nor  cared  to the  Commission to appear in the hearing.  Then,  Mrs.  Bindhani  issued  notice  five times  to  ADM, Khurda  under  Odisha  Information Commission ( appeal procedure) Rules, 2006  to conduct an inquiry  into it  and sought  information from the  PIO, Tahasildar.  Astonishingly,   ADM did not respond the Commission.   Mrs.  Bindhani  could  not  do anything, though  the  Commission has  ample  power  to take  legal  action against  them.  It  is  also very  interesting  to note here  that the  PIO, office  of Collector, Khurda submitted  to the  Commission  that though office  of Collector  issued direction 13  times  within period of  one year  from 5.5.2017  to 5.4.2018   to  Tahasildar, Bhubaneswar  to  provide  information along with  copy  marked  to  Commission,   the office  of Tahasildar  simply continued to   ignore  the  order  of the  Collector, Khurda.  The  Collector  did  not  take  any  action against  him   but  continued  to send  reminder  time  and again  to  provide  information. 

   . 4.      Supply  of  information  by PIO, office  of Tahasildar, Bhubaneswar

After  one  year  of long silence not  even ignoring   repeated  notice of   the  Commission, PIO , office  of Tahasildar, Bhubaneswar  supplied  the  information  on 8.2.18  and 9.5.18 which is  presented  below.

a. The  original  case  records  have  been seized  by the economic Office  wing of the  Odisha  crime Branch in connection with  EOW  Case  No. 22  dated 9.9.2014. The PIO provided   complete seizure list prepared on 10.9.14 and 3.1.15. This  list  does not  contain  any  information about  name  of the lease  holder against  whom cancellation of  Land lease  case  was filed.

b. The  PIO  supplied  copy  of the Khata No. 614 relating  to Mouza : Ghangapatna  indicating details of  land  reverted back  to the  Government Khata .

c. The  PIO  mentioned  that Since  the  matter  is  under  investigation  by the EOW, Odisha  Crime  Branch,  difficulties have been experienced  to provide  other  information sought for.

d.   It  means investigation of Crime  branch  is  going  on   since  5 years. In the  name  of  investigation,  Crime  Branch  has  suppressed the  scam  in order  to protect  land grabbers.

 5.  Complaint  filed in Lokayukta, Odisha

With availability of information, I filed complaint petition dt. 29.8.19  in the  office  of Lokayukta , Odisha   seeking investigation into Ghangapatna  LAND Scam  and find out the  reasons for  pending  of inquiry  in the  office of Crime  Branch   for  five  years . Taking cognizance of the case LY Case No. 289/19     the   Lokayukta, Odisha  issued  notice to Addl. DG, Crime Branch  to submit  detailed report  about inquiry into   huge Corruption, Irregularities in sale   and Purchase of lease  land  in Ghangapatna area  of  Bhubaneswar, Dist -Khurda by 17.10.19 . 

a. On 4.11.20., the Additional DG, Crime Branch produced the report in the Lokayukta, Odisha  about status  of  investigation. The report in toto   is presented  for the reference of the  readers. However the gist of the  submission  is presented.

 As per  the  submission of the Crime Branch , Gokarneswar Charitable Trust, represented  by Pranab Balabantaray , BJD MLA  had purchased an area of Ac 5. 240 dcml in Moua-Ghangapatna during  the period of 21.2.2009 to  14.7.2010. Out of the above-mentioned land,  Ac. 3.00 dec. land  have been purchased  from first-line purchasers ( purchase of land from the lessees) and Ac.2.00  from second line  purchasers. And remaining  Ac.0.240 dec. land is stitiban land purchased  from different  people which does not  within the purview of  investigation. At the  time of  purchase  of the land by trust, the land records were  in the name  of original lessees/ purchasers  because  of non-correction of  revenue  records  despite  such orders  passed  by ADM  during  the  period  1984-86. Thus  the allegation against  Gorkaneswar trust  and  its  trustee  Pranab Balaantaray  is yet  to be  fully  substantiated. However, investigation in the matter is continuing.

 M/S Nivritti Export Private Limited, Director Nivritti Kumari Singhdeo , D/O- Kanak Bardhan Singhdeo  had purchased the  land  to the extent  of Ac. 7.00 . Ac.5.00  was purchased  under    sale deed  from original lessees during  the  period  of 2007-08. The  company  had also purchased Ac.2.00  land from  first line purchasers in two  different sale deeds. The allegation against M/S Nivritti  Export Private Limited , its  Director  Nivritti Kumari Singhdeo is  yet to be   fully  substantiated .  However, investigation is continuing for collection of  documents   and examination of few  more  witnesses and final view will be taken after  completion of all aspects of  investigations.

 The Crime  Branch  further  submitted   referring  letter  of Tahasildar , Bhubaneswar dt. 17.10.2019  that out  of 18 acres  lease  land  which is under  investigation, 16 acres lease  land has been restored to Govt. Khata . This  16 acres of land includes land purchased  by  M/S Nivritti Export Private Limited and Gokarneswar Charitable Trust. The  rest  two acres  of land  is under  the process of restoration to Govt. Khata

 b.      Following  the  submission of the  Crime Branch report , I ( the  petitioner )  raised  before the  Lokayukta the  issue  of Non-completion of the investigation by the  Crime  Branch even after completion of 6  years and submitted  that  Crime Branch  had masterminded  suppression of  investigation to protect  the  main accused.  On 16.12.19, the  learned  counsel  of the  Crime ranch  submitted  and  prayed  for  another  six months time  to complete  the  investigation. The Lokayukta allowed. Then the Crime Branch took another  3 months  to finish the  investigation.

 c.       On 16.9.20, the  Crime Branch made  submission that charge-sheet  has been  submitted to the  court  of SDJM, Bhubaneswar vide  chargesheet  No. 6  dt. 16.9.20  u/s 167/409/420/467/468/120-B IPC  against twenty accused persons including officials   to face  their  trail  in the  court  of law. However, further  investigation as envisaged  U/S 173(8)  CrPC  has been  undertaken to collect  other  documentary as well as oral evidence and  to  examine   the  complicity  of other  persons  in the alleged crime.

   Presented  in the Press Meet on Land Scam in Odisha held  in Bhuaneswar on 4.11.20 by Pradip Pradhan, Srikant Pakal, Debesh Dash, Sudhir Mohanty, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sarbeswar Behura, on behalf of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan ) Contact No. -9937843482