Kalpataru returns additional house

Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Kalpataru Das today returned an additional house allotted by the state government against the name of his son owing to mounting pressure from within and outside the party.

"I have returned one additional plot to the state government for the sake of the image of my party and my father even as I have not done anything wrong. I have also requested the government to initiate a probe and make the probe report public," said Pranab Balabantray, son of Kalpataru Das and Dharmasala MLA after surrendering his flat.

Recently, members of Opposition had rocked the assembly over allotment of multiple plots and houses to the members of Das' family under discretionary quota of various government housing schemes.

These included one plot and one house in the name of his wife and son respectively and another house in the name of Balabantray Transport, where his son was a director. As per the norms of allotment under discriminatory quota, a person cannot avail more than one plot/house in the capital region.

Besides criticism of the Opposition, Das was also cornered by his fellow party men on the issue. Many BJD leaders have publicly advised him to return the additional plot citing a similar case involving minister, Bikram Keshari Arukh in 2012, when he had to return an additional plot allotted to his wife.

State Congress leaders have demanded a judicial probe into allotment of multiple plots and houses to BJD leaders in the guise of discretionary quota under different government housing schemes.