Puri: Authorities will start removing encroachments on land belonging to Lord Jagannath in Matitota area from the first week of Jan, Puri tehsildar Abhishek Das said on Sunday.
“Those who illegally constructed houses and encroached upon more than 64 acres of land were served notices and accordingly, they have submitted their documents, which will be verified. Once verification is done, the eviction process will start next month,” Das said.
“Notices were initially issued to 121 people, of whom, 119 submitted their land documents. These documents are currently being examined to determine which plots the individuals purchased and from whom. Additionally, mapping of the area has been done to identify how much of the land belongs to Lord Jagannath and how much is govt land. Preparations are underway to begin the eviction process accordingly,” Das said.
Puri collector Siddhartha Shankar Swain said Lord Jagannath’s land will be protected, ensuring that no further encroachment takes place. “Administrative steps will be taken to prevent future evictions and the deputy administrator of Khurda has been asked to protect Lord Jagannath’s land,” Swain added.
In a major crackdown on land fraud three days ago, Puri police arrested six persons for allegedly selling over 100 plots of land belonging to Lord Jagannath by using forged documents. Members of a local club reportedly collected Rs 28 lakh through these illegal transactions.
According to available data, there are 974 cases of encroachment on more than 169 acres of Lord Jagannath’s land across seven districts. Among these, in Puri tehsil, 384 cases are related to over 22 acres of land.
Puri: Authorities in Puri will start removing encroachments on land belonging to Lord Jagannath in the Puri Matitota area from the first week of January, Puri tehsildar Abhishek Das said on Sunday. “Those who illegally constructed houses and encroached upon more than 64 acres of land were served notices and accordingly, they have submitted their documents, which will be verified. Once verification is done, the eviction process will start next month,” Das added.
“Notices were initially issued to a total of 121 people, of which, 119 submitted their land documents. These documents are currently being examined to determine which plots the individuals purchased and from whom. Additionally, mapping of the area has been done to identify how much of the land belongs to Lord Jagannath and how much is govt land and preparations are underway to begin the eviction process accordingly,” Das said.
Puri collector Siddhartha Shankar Swain said that the valuable land of Lord Jagannath will be protected, ensuring that no further encroachment takes place. “Administrative steps will be taken to prevent future eviction actions and the deputy administrator of Khurda has been asked to protect Lord Jagannath’s land,” Swain added.
In a major crackdown on land fraud three days ago, Puri police arrested six persons for allegedly selling over 100 plots of land belonging to Lord Jagannath by using forged documents. Members of a local club reportedly collected Rs 28 lakh through these illegal transactions. The fraud came to light following a complaint to the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, who directed action against the land grabbers. The temple’s revenue department and the office of the sub-registrar have initiated necessary legal proceedings.
According to available information, there are 974 cases of encroachment on more than 169 acres of land belonging to Lord Jagannath across seven districts in the state. Among these, in Puri tehsil, 384 cases are related to over 22 acres of land.