Appropriate action to be taken in land allotment case: Naveen

Slammed over 'arbitrary' land allotment in the state capital and cancellation of land lease given to a senior minister's son, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said appropriate action will be taken in the matter.
"Steps whatever are appropriate... Proper will certainly be taken in this case," Patanaik told reporters to a question on the alleged arbitrary land allotment in the state capital.
The state government was recently rapped by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for arbitrary allotment of land in the state capital and lack of clear policy for the land lease by the General Administration department.

The state unit of BJP had criticised Patnaik for 'arbitrary allotment' of land in the state capital.
"Patnaik is also holding GA department which manages land in the state capital," former Revenue minister and senior BJP leader Manmohan Samal said.
The CAG also pointed out that state government cancelled the lease of a land allotted in the name of Biplab, son of the present Revenue Minister S N Patro.

Biplab was given one acre and 10 decimals of land at Unit-8 area at a low premium and the state did not take steps to take possession, Samal alleged.
Patro, however, claimed that he has no role in the land allotment and subsequent cancellation in favour of his son.

While the opposition BJP and Congress had been demanding resignation of the Revenue minister, his son obtained a stay from the High Court by challenging the cancellation order of the General Administration department headed by the Chief Minister.
Both Congress and BJP demanded a white paper on the land allotments in the state capital since 1980.