Nayagarh: It is not only the forest and pasture land that the land sharks here have a habit of grabbing, they have stated blasting hills and made them into plots before selling them to unsuspecting buyers, a report said.
They have managed to get away with the illegality by greasing the palm of administrative officials, it was alleged.
Balaram hill at Naik Sahi in ward-6 of the town is an example of rampant land grabbing by the mafia.
According to reports, land sharks have sold some plots under grazing land category and blasted a portion of the hill to level it. Later, they divided it into several plots and sold them to gullible customers. Some customers have even started constructing houses on the hill.
The mafia is doing this by gaining the confidence of some employees of the forest and the revenue departments.
While the cost of a plot in the heart of the town is out of reach for a common man, such a situation only helps the dishonest realtors. They sell the forest land, pasture land and plots on the hill to customers at throwaway prices.
Questions are raised as to how the administration is still oblivious of the development even as such irregularities are committed under its very nose.
The officials encourage the mafia by remaining silent on the issue, alleged locals.
Nayagarh tehsildar Manoranjan Sahoo said a few days back he received an allegation about construction of a concrete house on the pasture land. He would depute a revenue inspector to probe the fresh allegation and based on the report, further action would be taken, Sahoo added.
When contacted, assistant conservator of forest Suresh Chandra Hota said an inquiry would be initiated into the complaint of blasting of hill for housing purpose.