Former BJD MLA Pranab Balabantaray and current Dharmasala MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahu have brought land grab allegations against each other. Former BJD leader Pranab Balabantaray refuted the land grab allegation against him on Sunday by terming it as baseless and politically motivated. It has been alleged before the Jajpur Collector that Balabantaray has grabbed some government land at Naugaon under Dharmasala Tehsil using fraudulent means.
In response, Balabantaray said that the land at Naugaon has been registered in the name of his mother Pratima Das and his trust Gokarneswar Charitable Trust. “I have not encroached any government land. The allegation against me is baseless and politically motivated,” said Balabantaray.
Meanwhile, the BJD leader questioned in whose name Dharmasala MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahu’s office at Kumari has been registered. He further asked whether it is built on the forest land or not should be made clear to the public. In response to Balabantaray’s question, Sahu said he has bought the land on which his office has been built from a person and he has already got the patta of the land.
“The land on which Pranab has constructed the building was a forest land. He has grabbed the land by fraudulent means,” alleged Sahu. Notably, following the land grab allegation against Balabantaray, the Revenue Department started the initial measurement of the land for the demarcation of the government land a couple of days back.
Some local residents have alleged that Balabantaray has encroached on government, forest and grazing land to construct his luxurious building..
