Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: The Comptroller and Auditor (CAG) today rapped the land acquisition and management policy of the Orissa government and expressed its concern over encroachment of government land.

“Encroachment of land has become a routine feature as 19,792 acres of government land were under unauthorised occupation as per official records as on March 2010,” said the CAG report laid in the Assembly today.

Similarly, the buyers have got the benefits in terms of land acquisition. The report stated: “Performance audit of land acquisition and management in selected districts revealed that in case of both acquisition of private land and leasing of government land, fixation of market rates tend to benefit the buyers at the cost of the land owners.”

As per the CAG report, under-assessment of compensation to the tune Rs 63.98 crore were detected in 34 cases of acquisition of 3,120.77 acres for 11 entrepreneurs and industries owing to erroneous fixation of market value of lands.

Similarly, in respect of the government projects, there was avoidable expenditure of Rs 2.83 crore on payment of additional compensation and interest owing to delay in passing award by four to 35 months and delay in payment of compensation by seven to 44 years. Despite instructions, compensation money of Rs 371.28 crore were retained in bank accounts without crediting into civil deposit accounts, stated the CAG report.

In 41 cases, though 404.62 acres had been under unauthorised occupation of 29 parties for five to 30 years, yet the lease cases applied were not finalised leading to non-realisation of Rs 109.97 crore towards the expected lease of value of land. Though 5,061.523 acres of government land were leased during 1985-2004, it was not utilised by seven entrepreneurs. No action had been taken to resume the land to government, said the report.

The CAG also criticised performance of the implementation of backward region grant fund (BRGF) programme in Orissa.

There is no convergence of all schemes and programme at the grassroots-level. There was total absence of institutional arrangements at gram panchayats, panchayat samiti and district planning committee-levels as envisaged in the programme. Programmes for capacity building were inadequate.

Grant-in-aid cry

The Orissa government today made no announcement on the 100 per cent grant-in-aid for the block-grant high schools whose teachers have been agitating since August 1.

The non-teaching staff of these schools have also joined the stir.

The announcement did not come despite the Assembly witnessing a stormy debate over the issue of giving 100 per cent assistance to the block-grant schools (the schools which were set up by eminent people, but now entirely depend on the government’s assistance).

School and mass education minister Pratap Jena said: “An expert committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of chief secretary to examine the issue. The committee has asked for more time to look into the demands. As soon they submit the report, we will try to settle this issue. If we accept the demand, the state government will bear another burden of Rs 418 crore.”

Protesting the minister’s reply, the members trooped into the well and raised slogans against the government. Earlier, raising this issue through an adjournment motion, the Opposition members alleged that the government had failed to build up a good education system.

Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh said: “Because of the state’ failure, all the 1983 block-grant schools have been closed for the past 20 days. Nearly 3,00,000 students are suffering on account of this.”

Most of the Opposition members, including the BJP members, demanded these schools be given the government assistance.

Now, the Orissa government is giving only 60 per cent grant-in-aid and the teachers are getting only Rs 4,995 as salary.

The teachers’ community said they would continue their agitation till the government announced 100 per cent grant-in-aid for them.