Crime Branch begins probe into NTPC land scam

Sundargarh: A two-member special team of the Crime Branch arrived in the district today to probe into the NTPC land scam.

Talking to media persons here, Crime Branch SP Ramesh Behera said some villagers of Darlipali village of Lefripada block under Bhasma police station including Ashok Raudia and Kishore Majhi have alleged that they are yet to receive compensation towards acquisition of their land by the state government for the proposed Super Thermal Power Project by the NTPC.

“As they were deprived of the compensation, they had filed a writ petition in the Orissa High Court. The court, after hearing the case, has asked the Crime Branch to probe into the matter and submit a report. Acting on the directive of the court, a special team of Crime Branch, headed by me, has arrived in Sundargarh district as per the direction of the Special DG. We will talk to the district collector, sub collector, SP and Land Acquisition Officer in this connection and verify all records in the district collectorate. We will also record the statement of the witnesses in this case after which a report in this connection will be submitted in the High Court”, Behera said.

It is worthwhile here to mention that the district collector had ordered a probe following an allegation that some villagers have received compensation by submitting false land documents. He had also directed the police to take action against 76 villagers.

However, some villagers later filed a writ petition in the Orissa High Court and prayed its intervention in the matter saying they are yet to receive the compensation against the land which is acquired by the state government for the proposed project. They had also informed the court that the land documents they had submitted to the state government were genuine.