A boundary wall encroaching a public road in Shampur being demolished in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 9: The development authority today demolished a boundary wall and an outhouse on a plot at Shampur adjacent to an elite club. There is a pathway through the plot leading up to the club.

Though the authority claimed that it was an encroached government land, plot owner Rabi Shankar Panda, an advocate residing at BJB Nagar, said the land belonged to him and the government had forcibly demolished the structures. He has also threatened to move Orissa High Court.

An official of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority said expansion of the 200 feet road connecting Kalinga studio and Sum Hospital was stopped midway due to encroachments at many places. Besides, there was another road connecting the club and some educational institutes through this land, but the boundary wall and the outhouse blocked the road.

“We had issued notices to them to vacate the land. They did not listen to us,” said enforcement officer Deba Prasad Dash.

However, in the afternoon, two of Panda’s friends came to the office of the development authority to seek an explanation for the demolition.

One of them said the officials conducted the drive without informing them. He said Panda, a cancer patient, owned the two plots measuring around 220 decimals for the past 30 years. They even claimed that they had all the documents to substantiate their claim.

“Earlier, we had communicated to the officials seeking information regarding whether any roads passed through this land, but they did not respond. Besides, we had checked through the general administration department to know whether there is any road or deviation and we found no fault with us,” said retired revenue inspector Satrughna Seth, who is a friend of Panda.

“If they wanted the plot of land for road expansion purpose they should have paid the compensation and taken legal steps. While many moneyed people are getting relief, it targets people like us. Even the officers we met today did not respond to us properly,” Seth said.