District Authority asked to take action on OTDC

Puri, Apr 15 (UNI) The Union ministry of Environment and Forest has asked the Puri District Collector to initiate legal actions against the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) for blatantly violating the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms while carrying out beach development project.

The OTDC was entrusted with the execution of several development activities in the beach at a Rs 3.67 crore. Official sources said a high level meeting of all concerned had resolved to get the approval for the project from the state coastal zone management authority.

But the OTDC had started permanent construction encroaching a vast area of the public beach. The irregularity was pointed out by the Beach Protection Council president Jagannath Bastia, who had alleged that the encroachment to the sandy beach destroy the natural beauty, ecology and the land scape of the beach.

He petitioned that the permanent construction on the structure in close proximity to the beach would restrict the free movement of the tourists and reduce the beach area Earlier, the state environment department had asked the Collector to take stringent actions against the violators and send a detailed report on the matter.

UNI XC DP SJC RR VC2142