State seeks detailed report on land scam at Sipasarubali

An alleged land scam at Sipasarubali, the site of the showpiece Shamuka tourism project in Puri district, has rattled the state government with the Chief Secretary calling for a detailed status report from the district collector on the matter.

“We have asked the Puri collector to submit a detailed status report on the matter,” the state Chief Secretary B K Patnaik told newspersons here. The alleged scam involved 2,879 acres of land at Sipasarubali and 66 influential persons of the state including administrative officers, hoteliers and businessmen had allegedly recorded this land in their names in 1977. As per records, one Gadadhar Puspalaka and his kin had wrested control of 1,306 acres while the details of possession of the balance 1,573 acres was not known. The settlement officer had recovered the patch of 1,306 acres of prime government land last Saturday.