Odisha orders probe into Ghangapatna land scam

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Aug 28: Faced with growing criticism over illegal encroachment of government land by influential people at Ghangapatna near Bhubaneswar, Odisha Government on Thursday asked the Crime Branch of the State police to probe into the matter.Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded a CBI probe into the land scam in and around Bhubaneswar.The party had also alleged that many influential people, including some senior leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal, were involved in the Ghangapatna land scam.The Crime Branch has been asked to submit its report with two months, according to official sources.The Government ordered the probe after admitting that about 76 acres of land was encroached by many people in Ghangapatna area.The Government also decided to place under suspension of the Sub-Registrar, Tehsildar, Additional Tehsildar and Revenue Inspector who were party to the land grabbing.As the issue of land grabbing was in focus in the Capital city, the Government directed the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to prepare a Prevention of Land Grabbing Bill within a month.The Ghangapatna land scam issue saw the BJP activists damaging the boundary wall erected around the land that had been fraudulently acquired by the influential land grabbers.The BJP workers had also dug up a road that was illegally been built as an approach to the acquired patch of over 100 acres.Congress workers also staged a protest at the site and planted sapling on the approach road that was under construction.