MP Aparajita Sarangi alleges massive land scam under 'Pandian project', urges CM Naveen to clarify 

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday came down heavily on the BJD-led government and alleged that lands are being grabbed under the patronage of an influential bureaucrat in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). 

Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, the Parliamentarian said, “A land grabbing project is underway at a place only 15 kilometres away from Bhubaneswar. A patch of land measuring around 150 acres has been fenced with barbed wire. In this area, there are five types of lands. These lands have been acquired by an influential woman Kiruthika Pravakaran and her Triveni company.”

“I am repeatedly saying that many farmers’ lands are inside the fenced area. They used to grow crops there for their livelihood. With losing their lands, around 300 farmers of Bhagabatipur and Giringaput villages are presently spending days with nothing to eat. I was told by government employees that since the Pandian project is going on, no government employee will intervene. They can’t do anything except for being mute spectators,” she added. 

“Another thing I want to say that the same woman has also purchased lands in Bapuji Nagar area, Chandrasekharpur area and Olatpur area,” she added. 

The Parliamentarian further added that she has written a letter to the Chief Minister demanding action against such forcible encroachment of government land. 

In her letter to the Chief Minister, the bureaucrat-turned-politician said, “As all of us know, people of Odisha are now strongly doubt that relevant information is even reaching you. However, the people of Bhagabatipur and Giringaput seek a few answers from the government of Odisha.”

In her letter, she further wished to know if the Chief Minister would pay a visit to the two villages, take strong action against the encroachers of the government and private lands and institute an enquiry to find out why poor farmers are constrained to sell their land. 

“If a satisfactory answer from the government of Odisha does not come on this, the pent-up and anger and discontentment of people of these villages will definitely take a different and difficult turn. You will be responsible if the discontentment of people is not addressed the issue blows out of proportion,” she warned in her letter.