Bhubaneswar : Strange but true. A village in habitated by people for ages has been sold out in Odisha.
Villagers of Doctor Banjeri, a tribal village located in the deep forest of Gosani block of Gajapati district, suddenly found to their surprise that their village has sold out.
The 42 acres of land on which the village was settled some century ago happens to be owned by a zamindar late Muturu Buchi Anna of Parlakhemndi, the district head quarter of Gajapati district. His heir Muturu Chandra Sekhar Rao, now residing in Berhampur, a prominent city in southeren Odisha, have sold the property to a woman of the city for Rs 1.44 crore. Along with rhis, he has also sold out 5 acre land in Jammigoan village under Gumma block for Rs 8.50 lakh to the woman.
Over the years, the government has developed the village with roads, water supply, school, Anganwadi and also pucca dwelling units for poor villagers under PM Awas Yojana.
Since the land record is in the name of the zamindar, the sale by his heir means the entire aeests built on the land transferred to the new owner.
On the complaints of the villagers, the district revenue officials are now scrtinising the land records and also the legal claim by the heir and the validity of the teansfer.
