Bhubaneswar: A day after visiting Deras Minor Irrigation Project on the outskirts of Odisha capital following allegation that it has been obstructed due to land encroachment, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday wrote to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his intervention in the interest of the poor farmers.
Aparajita said in the letter that the people of Bhagabatipur and Giringaput mouzas under Kantabada and Mendhasal panchayats respectively had met her about a month back and complained against an influential woman.
The villagers alleged that the influential woman had been on land buying spree in order to grab as much land as she can. She has encroached upon around 150 acre of land in these two mouzas.
“On the request of villagers, I visited the place on August 21 and was aghast to find barbed wire fencing with granite pillars along with a gate constructed to restrict the entry of outsiders to this huge patch of land,” she said.
Following checking of Revenue Records, it was found that there are Anabadi plots, private plots, Hindustan Aeronautics Employees Association plots, Thakur Jami and a portion of Deras MIP Irrigation Canal within this patch of 150 acre encroached by the woman, the BJP MP said.
About 400 metre of irrigation canal within the encroached land has been blocked by the ‘encroacher’ two years back depriving around 300 acre of irrigation.
“I went to the spot once again on August 7. This time I was accompanied by the officials of the Irrigation department. All complaints of the villagers were found to be true. The findings were video recorded in presence of Irrigation and Police department officials. A portion of the blocked canal was also unearthed,” she said in the letter.
Stating that this was a very serious matter and the government had remain silent on the issue, Aparajita wanted the government to take corrective steps. She said the irrigation canal of Deras MIP should be unblocked and water should flow unhindered to 300 acre of land as was happening two years back.
Similarly, the encroached land must be freed, barbed wire fencing and the gate removed and demarcation by the Revenue Department must be ensured, the MP demanded.
She also said if the government failed to take any step on the matter, the residents of the area would be compelled to fight for themselves.
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