Family lives in terror

[ganpat1956]

GHUMUNDUMAL (BAMRA): They have been barred from walking on the village road, grazing their cattle on the village land and socialising with villagers. Karunakar Patel and his family today are forced to finish their daily chores before the village wakes up. All this torture because they wanted to know the fate of the project which was initiated on the land donated by them.

The family now wants back their land or compensation as the purpose for which they had donated the land has been defeated.

In 2000, Patel (70) and his brothers Banmali and Yudhistir gifted 3.5 acre of their land to the Governor of Orissa for construction of a ‘maha bandha’. Subsequently, work on the ‘maha bandha’ began in 2001 and continued till 2006.

Although more than Rs 10 lakh was spent for construction of a ‘maha bandha’, it resembled nothing better than a ditch. It is learnt that the funds earmarked for the project was spent on a culvert on Ghumundal-Kureibaga road.

The Patels alleged that none of the officials concerned visited the project site during construction.

When information about the funds spent on the ‘maha bandha’ was sought from the BDO through RTI , he reportedly supplied information pertaining to 2000 and 2001.

“We again sought information about the funds on January 4, 2007 for 2002-2007, but information for 2004 and 2005 was supplied,” the family members alleged.

Although we have urged the District Collector and the Sambalpur Vigilance division to look into the matter, nothing has been done so far, they added.

Following the repeated demand of the family members, the villagers called a meeting on May 17. However, the family did not attend the meeting following which a decision was taken to ostracise them.

Although Karunakar’s son Lambodhar Patel lodged a complaint with Govindapur police on May 18, the police are yet to react.

Meanwhile, Kuchinda Sub-Collector Bibhuti Majhi and SP S Devadutta said an inquiry had been ordered.

Family lives in terror - Newindpress.com