By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Aul MLA Pratap Deb’s Driver cum PA, Abhay Kuanr is now under scanner after he and his brother Chinamaya Kuanr manipulated documents to get Government land of 8 decimals under Vasundhara Yojana.
Kuanr has building, Honda City Car, Royal Enfield Bullet Bike with 4 other bikes and 10 acres of land at native place but using his close proximity with BJD MLA Pratap Deb, he managed to get land under Vasundhara Yojana. Abhay’s 3 kids are studying at various Central Schools in Bhubaneswar. Abhay is too also doing contracting work and has plots in Bhubaneswar because of Pratap Deb’s blessings but Government record shows Kuanr brothers landless and deserve lands under Vasundhara Scheme.
Apart from that, Abhay and his brother encroached others land at their native place of Ekamania under Aul block of Kendrapara. Documents available with Aul Tehsil office in Kendrapara shown both Abhay and his brother Chinmaya are landless and both got 8 decimal lands.
One Baikuntha Kuanr alleged that using their close proximity with BJD MLA Pratap Deb, both Abhay and his brother Chinmaya spreading mayhem in native place and even Tehsil office at Aul not responding their grievances.Local villagers had taken up the issue with Aul Tehsildar and Kendrapara Collector, but nothing has happened yet, sources said. Local alleged that Kuanr brothers have started construction work and boundary work at the illegally grabbed land. FIRs had been lodged at Aul Police Station against the Kuanr brothers but police too turned a blind eye to it.
It may be noted here that all Collectors were requested to take up survey of homesteadless families vide Letter No. 2277/R dtd. 15.01.2004. According to the enumeration conducted in the year 2004-05, as many as 2,49,334 homesteadless families were there in the State. Out of these 2,29,885 number of homesteadless families have been provided with homestead land during three years i.e. 2005-08.
The ceiling of annual income for homesteadless and landless persons has been enhanced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 24,000 vide notification no. 12940, 12944, 12948, 12952 and 12956 dtd. 22.03.2011 of Government in Revenue and DM Department. All Collectors were again impressed upon to take up a fresh survey on a campaign mode to enumerate homesteadless families of the State vide Letter No. 18923/R&DM dtd. 03.05.2011. It is revealed from Survey Report that there were 1,49,266 number of homesteadless families in the State as on 31.03.2012 out of which 1,15,827 number of homesteadless families have been distributed with homestead land as on 30.04.2013.
The management of land and its distribution to the needy persons are the foremost responsibilities of the Revenue & Disaster Management Department. Government land upto the extent of four decimals was being provided free of premium to each homesteadless family for house site purpose since 1974-75. The maximum extent of land to be distributed has been enhanced to Ac. 0.10 decimals vide Revenue & D.M. Department letter No. 28733 dated 3.7.2008. Vigorous attempts are being made from the highest level of Government down to the field level to expedite the implementation of this important work. This system is being governed under the provisions of Odisha Government Land Settlement Act, 1962 and the Rules, 1983.
