OTV’s Land Grabbing Tentacles Spread To Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Even as the Sarua land encroachment issue by OTV authorities in Khorda is under investigation by the Crime Branch, yet another land grab incident has come to the fore – this time from the heart of Bhubaneswar. A joint verification team of officials including IDCO, BDA, BMC and Tahasil offices have uncovered an alleged encroachment of about 12 thousand 980 square feet of government land by Panda family owned OTV in Bhubaneswar. The OTV office at Patia under Chandaka Industrial Estate, stands on a land allotted by the IDCO but the company authorities have encroached upon the government land adjoining the office. The alleged land grab came to the fore during the verification by the joint team of officials on Tuesday.

While Baijayant Panda and his family companies are embroiled in scams such as the Sarua land and Bahamas money laundering, the fresh allegations are surely going to raise the demand for action against them.

According to sources, IDCO officials had received a complaint regarding government land encroachment by OTV a few days back. After that, they had issued a showcase notice to OTV authorities on 20th September. But the channel officials did not pay heed to the notice and denied any encroachment. But the reply was found unsatisfactory by the IDCO officials.

On Tuesday, a joint team comprising of IDCO land officer, BMC, BDA and Kalarahanga Tahasil officials went for spot verification of the OTV office and its adjoin areas. The team found the irregularities and land grabbing.

In 2007, OTV was allotted 0.835 acre land in the Chandaka Industrial area by IDCO vide plot number N/28/29/30 and 31. But the hunger for more land led it to encroachment of the adjoining land.Construction has been carried out over an area of 12 thousand 980 square feet illegally encroached land. OTVs teleport and DG machines stand on the alleged encroached land. A part of the main building also stands on the illegal land.

While a number of allegations against OTV MD Jagi Panda have been made regarding grabbing of land belonging to dalits, the crime branch has started investigations after the district administration gave a go ahead. The new allegations of government land encroachment in Bhubaneswar are surely going to raise the heat and it remains to be seen what steps IDCO is taking to take back the land.