Vigilance register cases against OAS officers in land scam

Sambalpur, Nov 15(UNI) The Vigilance department has registered cases against three senior Orissa Administrative Service(OAS)officers for their alleged involvement in an infamous land scam.

Sambalpur Vigilance Superintendent of Police Premananda Parida said in the first phase cases were registered against three officers a year after the scam first surfaced and said cases against some more would be registered soon.

Mr Parida said the officers against whom the cases were registered included former Sub-Collector of Sambalpur Harihar Sahu, ex-land acquisition officer Daniel Ekka and ex Tehsildar of Rengali Nirmal Chandra Nayak.

He said chargesheets against the officers would be filed within two months.

As per allegation the officers were fradulently buying land of poor tribals at a throwaway price by misutilising their position and then selling it at an exorbitant price to industrial houses.

They faced no problem as the officers were also tribals and needed no special permission from the district collector to buy the land.

The scandal surfaced when the then Sambalpur Collector Vishal Gagan, during an investigation, hit upon the modalities used by the officers to mint money.

The issue then created a furore all over the state as the accused said they were being targetted because of their caste.

The all Orissa OAS officers association also supported the accused and demanded action against the Collector. But the government handed over the matter to the Vigilance department.

UNI