Fresh cases of ‘illegal land acquisition by KIIT University’ come to the fore

Further allegations emerged in the ongoing controversy surrounding KIIT University, led by its founder Achyuta Samanta, on Friday. Accusations of illegal encroachment on government land for the construction of multi-storey buildings have sparked public outrage.

Also Read: Allegations of illegal land acquisition by KIIT University surface

Allegedly, Samanta circumvented legal processes and obtained prime lands in the Capital City through manipulative dealings with officials.

More skeletons tumbling out of the closet

A verdict by the Estate Officer court in Bhubaneswar had ordered Samanta in 2012 to vacate government plots numbered 318, 319, and 320 in Khata numbers 491 and 493 under Patia Mouza, belonging to the General Administration (GA) Department. Despite the court’s clear directive and a 15-day eviction notice, unauthorised construction reportedly persisted.

Through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, activist Pradeep Pradhan sought clarity on the legal allocation of land to the KIIT, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). In July 2018, the government denied any formal land allocation to these institutions. Besides, the KIIT founder appealed to Odisha Government for a lease but Samanta’s lease requests for several plots had failed to yield results.

Investigation further revealed no building approvals had been filed with the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) for the construction.

RTI activist Pradhan consistently highlighted these irregularities with government officials, including the Chief Minister.

When government attempts proved unfruitful, Pradhan escalated the matter to Lokayukta. However, an unexpected revelation in 2019 and 2021 brought to light the GA Department’s legalisation of land transfers to KIIT, awaiting scrutiny by top officials.

“When the State government had objected and the Director of Estate had issued an eviction notice to the party concerned (KIIT University), how the Department allotted the valuable land? The allotment was made even after a case was filed with Lokayukta. The multi-storey buildings were constructed sans BDA approval,” the RTI activist said to OTV.

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Sources within the Government, including the Housing Urban Development (H&UD) Minister, confirmed that the matter is under serious deliberation, with actions dependant on forthcoming clarifications.

The core issue remains unresolved: addressing the future of the buildings erected unlawfully and the restoration of public assets under the current government’s oversight.