Cuttack, May 15: The vigilance department today conducted a raid on LIC colony at Badambadi and found that the government quarters in different areas in the city are being encroached upon.

“Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of the anti-corruption wing and other officials of the district administration conducted a physical verification of 35 quarters and their occupants. The sleuths found that 18 quarters were occupied by persons, who were not entitled for the accommodations,” said vigilance SP B.K. Patnaik.

Patnaik said further verification of quarters would be conducted to assess the situation. The state government had established the LIC colony in 1970s to provide accommodation to its employees. A total of 370 quarters were established in the new colony and the old LIC colony has 244 quarters.

On the basis of a status quo order, it is alleged that two persons had collected Rs 10,000 each as security deposit and three months’ rent from various people and have given the houses on rent.

“This is a clear violation of the status quo order and the law has been misused,” said vigilance inspector Biswaprakash Patnaik. The occupants have claimed to be ignorant about the fact that the quarters were meant for government officials.

“It is only last month that we had moved into the quarters. We had already paid security money of Rs 10,000 to the person, who had brought us here. We will soon vacate the quarters after finding an alternative accommodation,” said one of the occupants, Jayanti Das. Efforts were on to identity illegal occupants in other government quarters in the city, said a vigilance official.