Nayagarh: Tension erupted after irate villagers vandalized the illegal boundary walls constructed around the local cremation ground in Ramabali village under Ranpur Police limits of Nayagarh district. The villagers demolished the walls alleging that they were constructed illegally by a builder, who has carved plots out the crematorium land in a bid to sell them off.
According to the complaint, a real estate broker, identified as Rajat Mohapatra of the same village had encroached on the crematorium land and built boundary walls around the same with the purpose of selling it off.
After the villagers came to know about the encroachment, they arrived at the spot today with sticks and crowbars and demolished the walls. Seeing the enraged villagers, Rajat fled from the site.
The villagers stated that they have already filed a written complaint about the incident with the Ranpur tehsildar, police and the district collector. However, disappointed about the fact that no steps have been taken in the matter, the villagers have threatened to stage road blockade on Khurda-Bolangir National Highway.
“This place is a cremation ground which is used by the residents of Sunakhala. Water also flows through this land into the river and it also connects the village to NH-57. Despite all of these, the builder has constructed boundaries by felling several mango and jack-fruit trees,” stated Durga Das, a resident of the village.
According to sources, in spite of the simmering rage among the crowd, the police have not yet reached the spot.
The local RI stated that the broker was warned that no construction can be done before the land was measured and demarcated.
“I have already submitted the report of investigation to the tehsildar. With the assistance of amin and the police, the real ownership of the land will be verified,” said revenue inspector (RI), Panchanan Sahu.