Bijoyshree Routray

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 15: A section of television reporters and photographers today alleged that revenue minister Bijoyshree Routray had manhandled them over the Ghangapatna land scam at his official chamber.

Routray, however, denied the allegation. “They had barged into my chamber without permission. I just asked them to leave. It was they who manhandled me,” he said.

Eyewitnesses said that when the minister was on his way to his chamber, the reporters of the electronic medium interrogated him at the main entrance to the secretariat. They wanted to know about the progress made in the scam. The minister told them that he had no update.

Later, Congress leader and former Jatni MLA Suresh Kumar Routray, accompanied by a group of local residents, met the revenue minister at his chamber and alleged that a patch of Ghangapatna land, which was earmarked for an irrigation project, had been grabbed by a few influential people.

While the meeting was on, a group of reporters and cameramen entered the minister’s chamber. He lost his cool and asked them to vacate. But, the reporters alleged that the minister had roughed up and forcibly driven them out.

“The minister manhandled me,” alleged Smuti Ranjan Behera, a senior reporter.

The Ghangapatna land scam has ruffled quite a few feathers, as some influential persons are allegedly involved in it. A road was constructed inside a forest to give access to a patch of 100 acres located on the outskirts of the city.

BJD legislator Pranab Kumar Balabantaray, who happens to be the son of BJD stalwart and Rajya Sabha member Kalpataru Das, and BJP state president K.V. Singh Deo had purchased land in the disputed area.