Bhubaneswar: Citing the latest report by the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG), senior BJP leader and former MP Amar Patnaik accused the former Naveen Patnaik-led government of being the “prime culprit” in illegal land allocations and systemic corruption.
According to the BJP leader, government land was handed to favoured institutions, individuals and companies at prices far below market value, bypassing auction norms and transparency.
The CAG report noted that between 2012 and 2024, over 50,000 acres were allotted across eight districts, with nearly 99 per cent of land acquired from poor households lying unused. The report also highlighted encroachments worth ₹600 crore in Bhubaneswar–Puri, including 180 acres of forest land.
“This arbitrary allotment caused revenue losses running into hundreds of crores. While poor and middle‑class families struggled for years to secure small housing plots, influential persons close to the BJD regime were gifted prime land with ease,” Patnaik told the media on Thursday.
The former MP questioned why no penalties were recovered from violators and why the former BJD government failed to act despite repeated CAG warnings. He praised the current BJP government under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for initiating cancellation of irregular allotments and returning land to state control.
He pointed out that the report had exposed misuse of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, with ₹983 crore spent in non‑mining villages while mining‑affected areas received nothing. “Funds were allegedly diverted to projects such as stadiums, cafés and markets, underscoring what Patnaik described as systematic loot under the BJD,” he added.