Odisha BJP leader demands CBI probe into misuse of quota

Seeking an explanation from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on alleged misuse of discretionary quota in land allotment, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra today demanded a CBI probe into the matter in which Comptroller and Auditor General has also found illegalities.
"It seems land mafias are ruling the state. The truth in illegalities committed in land allotment will come out if all deals made since 2002 is handed over to CBI for a thorough investigation," Mohapatra told reporters here.
Hitting out at the BJD government for doing nothing about Orissa High Court order of April 2002 for framing a uniform land allotment policy, the BJP leader said only a probe by CBI would ensure punishment to culprits.

Claiming that more than 20 persons including bureaucrats and ministers had been alltted more than one plot in violation of guidelines, Mohapatra said though the High Court had directed the state government to prepare a master plan for allotment of land in Bhubaneswar under discretionary quota in April 2002, no concrete action has been taken.
Though a committee chaired by the chief minister was formed in 2010 on such a master plan as directed by the high court, there has been no outcome, Mohapatra said asking Patnaik to give an explanation about the alleged inaction.
The BJP leader further claimed that the CAG in two communications to the state government in January 2013 had informed it about illegalities detected in allotment of land. However, no action was taken by the state government despite being informed by the CAG, he said.

"The chief ministers owes an explanation. People of the state want an answer from Naveen Patnaik as to why no action was taken against those who acquired many government plots and flats in a fraudulent manner," Mohapatra said.
Referring to a flat returned by a BJD MLA and son of Rajya Sabha member and former minister following widespread furore, the BJP leader said merely returning a land or house is unacceptable as criminal action must be taken against all such law breakers. "The government on its own should have cancelled the property and initiated criminal proceedings against the violator," he said.

It is unfortunate that perhaps for the first time the CAG named a minister of the state for illegal possession of plots and houses by his family member, he said.