SAMBALPUR: The administration seems to have closed its eyes to encroachments in Sambalpur district. While the proposal of a land bank by the Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA) failed to take off as land could not be identified, the State Government has been casual in its approach to regain control over the encroached land.
Sources said instead of initiating action to get the land vacated and taking possession of it, Government has been accusing the encroachers and preferring to close its eye to the problem. Even though the State Cabinet had decided last year to evict encroachers and initiate action including penal fine and imprisonment, the decision has remained on pen and paper. It had also proposed to set up separate court to speed up the matter and the Cabinet had resolved that anybody can file case against encroachers of government land in the court.
As the situation stands today, encroachment has taken toll on roads, embankments of water bodies, drains, vital installations like transformers. This has been an impediment to growth of infrastructure in Sambalpur. Although cases over encroachment have been filed in the court, no serious effort is being made to pursue the matter.
While there has been no instance of stern action against violators, sources said at least 1195.619 acres of government land has been encroached upon in urban areas of Sambalpur district while the figure is 2207.87 acres of land in rural areas.
Sambalpur Collector, Samarth Verma said tehsildars in the district have been instructed to free government land from encroachment in the district. He said the issues of encroachment have been taken up and steps have already been initiated to free Government land from encroachers.