Odisha Govt orders probe into KISS land grab allegations

The Odisha government has ordered a joint investigation into allegations against KISS and KIIT educational institutions in Bhubaneswar for illegally occupying forest and government lands, sources said on Monday.

Also Read: ‘KIIT University not allowing us access to our own land!’

Evidence suggests large-scale encroachment, triggering administrative action and casting doubt on previous claims of land regularisation.

According to sources, the State government has finally ordered a probe into allegations of illegal land encroachment by Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and the related institutions. These allegations, long whispered about, include unauthorised construction on forest land, conversion of public property into private parking zones, and development of Rath Yatra grounds on encroached land.

The joint probe will be carried out by IDCO and General Administration (GA) Department. The directive by Home Department also mentions examining how government land came to be leased under unclear circumstances to these institutions.

Several senior residents of Patharagadia, including former administrative official Bansidhar Behera and retired educationist Sangram Mohanty, allege that KISS forcibly took over their land bought in the 1980s.

As per the preliminary investigation by the Revenue and Forest Departments, out of 18 acres of revenue forest lands occupied by the KISS, around eight acres have now been reclaimed. However, the remaining 10 acres were allegedly regularised by KIIT authorities in 2021 under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

The site in question includes areas where concrete paving has been laid for parking and where Rath Yatra rituals are conducted. Satellite imagery and local testimonies confirm that jungle-type land has been converted into barren, usable plots, raising environmental and legal concerns.

Founder Achyuta Samanta had earlier claimed, via video and newspaper ads before the last election, that KISS and KIIT had been cleared of all encroachment charges after 17 years. However, the recent State government directive appears to contradict that, reopening the matter for deeper inquiry.

Odisha Home Department’s letter also references prior reports from the Revenue and Forest departments that point to wrongful occupation. Public access to private lands has also reportedly been restricted by gates erected on disputed plots.

Efforts to get a response from KITT's Public Relations Officer (PRO) were unsuccessful.

Reported By: Goutam Panda, Niranjan Reddy, Laxminarayan Kanungo