TV
The Orissa High Court has delivered a strong indictment of the Odisha administration for ‘illegally’ demolishing a decades-old community centre in Balasore, calling the act a “disturbing case of bulldozer justice.”
The court noted the observations in a case involving the demolition of a community centre on December 14, 2024, just a day after the Court had explicitly restrained the authorities from taking any coercive action.
The structure, known as a goshtigruha, had existed since 1985 and was rebuilt between 2016 and 2018 using public funds sanctioned under the ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikas Yojana' and the MLA-LAD scheme. Villagers said it served as a vital public utility and had never faced objections until 2024.
Tehsildar Held Personally Liable
In a judgment passed on June 20, Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi held that the demolition was executed in haste and in violation of judicial restraint. The Court ordered Rs 10 lakh in compensation to be paid by the state government, and directed that Rs 2 lakh of it be deducted from the salary of the Tehsildar who oversaw the demolition.
The remaining Rs 70 lakh was imposed on the Revenue Department for litigation delays, bringing the total compensation amount to Rs 82 lakh.
The Court further directed departmental action against the erring Tehsildar and asked the Chief Secretary to issue fresh guidelines to revenue and municipal officers to prevent future violations of the Supreme Court demolition guidelines.
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Timeline of Ignored Legal Process
According to the case details, legal troubles began in July 2024 when the community centre was declared an encroachment under the Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment (OPLE) Act.
Villagers challenged this in court, which asked them to file a settlement application, which was rejected by local authorities, prompting the villagers to appeal to the Sub-Collector.
While the appeal was pending, the High Court passed an interim order on November 29, 2024, barring eviction. On December 5, however, a new eviction notice was issued. The villagers approached the Court again, and on December 13, it reaffirmed the stay on any demolition until the appeal was decided.
Yet, on the very same day, the Sub-Collector ordered the demolition. The structure was razed the next morning at 10 am, without giving the petitioners sufficient time to respond or vacate.
