Joda: Over 100 residents of Koila Hutting and Pagala Mohanty Hutting in Bansapani area of Keonjhar alleged that Tata Steel has made their land part of its lease area without their knowledge.
Among the complainants were Subhendu Kumar Nayak, Ashok Kumar Biswal, Prahallad Gupta, Arup Kumar Ghosal, Ranjit Singh, Pradip Kumar Basa and Sachhi Basa.
They said they have been living on their land for the last 40 years.
Subhendu Nayak was going to sell his 10 acres (plot 333, khata no 131/51) to a person to arrange fund for his daughter’s marriage, Tuesday.
The purchaser obtained encumbrance certificate (EC application -201913000047) of the land from the tehsil, it was found that MC Thomas, then chief manager of Tata Steel at Nuamundi, had purchased the land for Rs 10,000 from the state government.
Subhendu said that tehsila officials denied him selling of the land as it belonged to the company. After this fact came to the fore, locals have reacted strongly.
Many residents met this correspondent and showed their documents and revenue reprints given by the revenue department.
Over 30 people have owned over 100 acres in the area. They have been paying revenue of their land.
They were shocked to know this fact. They would take up the issue with Barbil tehsildar February 27.
Tehsildar Khirod Kumar Behera said he was in Bhubaneswar for election training. He will come back to Barbil Monday and look into the issue.
PNN