The Congress on Monday alleged that Orissa chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had deliberately showed undue favour to his ministerial colleagues and party men by allotting precious lands in the capital city. It demanded a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities by an impartial investigating agency.
“The Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is himself in charge of the general administration department that deals with land allotment, has encouraged illegal allotment of lands to individuals, private companies and other agencies in the capital without sticking to the laid down norms,” state Congress vice-president Narasingha Mishra said here at a press conference.
The veteran Congress leader said the state revenue minister Suryanarayn Patra’s son Biplab Patra was illegally granted a valuable piece of land on lease in the Unit 8 area for establishing a hotel.
Mr Mishra’s allegation comes close on the heels of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) observation that the state government, without any specified policy or procedure, has allotted government land to several individuals, government and private organisations, causing serious financial losses to the state exchequer.
State chief secretary B.K. Patnaik said the government would examine the alleged case of irregularities and take appropriate steps.
The CAG report tabled in the Assembly on Saturday said general administration department headed by the chief minister has allotted 464.47 acres in the city in 337 cases during 2000-12 to individuals, government offices, government undertakings as well as private bodies for establishment of hotels, hospitals, educational institutions and non-government organisations.
Of this, 183.44 acres were allotted to non-government institutions and organisations.
A test check of 164 out of 337 cases by the CAG revealed that the process of allotment of land lacked a defined policy and procedure.