Bhubaneswar, May 9: The Orissa government today confirmed that it had received a report from Governor M.C. Bhandare on Lok Pal Justice P.K. Patra’s observations in relating to the government’s land acquisition process for Vedanta’s proposed university on Puri-Konark marine beach.

Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said: “The governor has sent a report to the government on the Lok Pal’s observations. We are examining the report and will send an action taken report to the governor.”

On Wednesday, the Lok Pal submitted a report to the governor complaining against the Orissa government’s failure to comply with its recommendations relating to land acquisition for the proposed university.

Subsequently, the governor had asked the public grievance and pension administration department to give a detailed reply to the issue raised by the Lok Pal. Sources said the law department, in co-ordination with the public grievance and pension administration department, will prepare the reply.

The Lok Pal, in an order on March 19, 2010, raised nine questions and pointed out that all rules on land acquisition were blatantly violated by the government while trying to acquire land.

Orissa High Court had already quashed the land acquisition process and directed the state government to return the land to its owners. Later, the Supreme Court had ordered that status quo be maintained in the case.

In its report to the governor, the Lok Pal had said that the compliance report given by the Orissa government was completely unsatisfactory and evasive since none of the recommendations made by him has been complied with. On the contrary, it was stated that there was no necessity to comply with any of the said recommendations. “In other words, the findings given by me on all points have been refuted which depicts the ignorance of law by the authorities concerned,” Patra said.

The Lok Pal said: “If this be the attitude of concerned public servants amounting to defiance of the order of Lok Pal, people of the state will not derive the benefits as contemplated under the statues.”

In another development, the Save Odisha Forum, a non-political organisation, has demanded that chief minister Naveen Patnaik should immediately step down following the indictment of the Lok Pal on Vedanta.