In a landmark order, the Orissa High Court has asked the State Government to stop payment of monthly salaries for the Angul District Collector and 2 of his subordinates for their failure to compensate around 200 people, who lost their land more than 6 decades back for the construction of an irrigation project.

 “Their plots were acquired in 1961 and in the meantime more than 60 years have passed, this Court directs that till payment of compensation to the petitioners is made for the land acquired by the State Government, the salary of Collector and District Magistrate, Angul, Land Acquisition Officer, Angul and Chief Development Officer-cum-Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Angul shall not be released in their favour. However, only on payment of compensation, if any application is filed that the petitioners have been paid their compensation, then release of salary of the concerned officers shall be considered by this Court”, a division bench of the court comprising Justice B R Sarangi and Justice B P Satapathy said pronouncing the verdict recently.

As many as 183 people residing in 5 villages in Angul district have been running from pillar to post for the last 62 years trying to seek compensation for the plots, which have submerged because of the Kukurpeta Minor Irrigation Project (KMIP).

The plot measuring 62.21 acre still stands recorded in the names of the tenants and as such, they are paying land revenue. The land-losers had moved the High Court in 2013 seeking its intervention for amelioration of their plight, the HC’s order mentioned.

The Court taking into consideration the misery of the petitioners, whose lands had been acquired in the year 1961 and till date compensation amount has not been paid, took a serious note on the issue and had called upon the Collector and District Magistrate, Angul to appear in person before this Court on 16 January 2023 and to file show cause as to why contempt proceeding shall not be initiated against him for nonpayment of the compensation.

However, the Chief Development Officer-cum-Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Angul appeared in person and contended that the Collector is suffering from illness and therefore, he could not appear.

On the other hand, the officer sought more time for the release of the compensation.

“But we are not convinced with such a stand taken by him. In any case, since the compensation amount has not been paid to the petitioners till date, even though the writ petition was filed in the year 2013 and in the meantime more than 10 years have passed, the HC concluded.