Land Row: Senior Citizens Urge CEO To Nullify Samanta’s RS Candidature

Achyuta Samanta. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Bhubaneswar: Much to the embarrassment of Dr Achyuta Samanta, founder of KIIT and KISS, who recent joined the ruling BJD and was subsequently given party ticket for the Rajya Sabha elections, some senior citizens on Monday moved the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) urging him to cancel his nomination papers as he has forcibly occupied their private land.

“We had a piece of private plot near KISS campus and constructed boundary wall around it. But some henchmen of Achyuta Samant forcibly took possession of our land by breaking the boundary wall. Protesting the hooliganism we had staged dharna. But we were assaulted and driven out of the dharna site by the goons of Samanta who tore up our land documents. We had lodged a complaint with the police but to no avail as the police remained silent,” said a senior citizen.

He further alleged Samanta has constructed Jagannath temple on a private land.

“It is a matter of utter regret that the Chief Minister has chosen a person of such character as a member of Rajya Sabha. In this connection, we met the CEO and apprised him of the details about the modus operandi of Samant and requested him to nullify his nominations after a thorough investigation into the matter,” he pointed out.

Neither Samanta nor his office had reacted to the allegations.