TV
The sale of a substantial 22.7 acre farmhouse in Faridabad belonging to Naveen Patnaik in 2021, when he was the CM, has ignited political debate, particularly given his decision to sell rather than bequeath it to his descendants, sources said on Monday.
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The farmhouse sold to a family from South India, whose connection to Patnaik still remains unspecified, has added to the intrigue.
Naveen's property in nutshell
The transaction was made public in August 2020, but it appears that the property exchange occurred earlier, with the sale deed being dated September 18, 2019. An advance payment of Rs 1.25 Crore was recorded, despite the estimated market value at the time suggesting agricultural land prices were around Rs 11 Crore in the region.
This has raised questions, especially from Opposition parties, including the BJP, which have criticised the lack of transparency and queried the underlying reasons for choosing an external party, especially from southern India. They demanded clarity regarding the nature of association between Patnaik and the buyers.
By the settlement period of 2021-22, land records from Haryana had noted the ownership transfer to K. Raghavan Shashiprabhu and his family. As the connection between Naveen Patnaik and the buyers remains undisclosed, no formal comments have emerged from either Patnaik or his party, the BJD.
In light of these, Opposition leaders in Odisha assert that Patnaik, renowned for being a bachelor, should expound on the motivation behind the sale and his relationship with the South Indian beneficiaries, while also questioning the potential influence exerted by his southern interests.
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“Nothing is being done these days with the knowledge of Naveen Patnaik. He is now under the control of South India and VK Pandian. It is being debated that the farmhouse was sold at a throwaway price,” Aska BJP MLA Saroj Padhi said to OTV.
No comments were received from Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
