Cuttack: The Orissa high court has issued a stay order on further action on a proposed vending zone in Cuttack after residents challenged the project claiming the land is recorded in the name of Lord Jagannath.A vacation bench of Justices Mruganka Sekhar Sahoo and MS Raman on June 2 directed all parties to maintain status quo over the land at Gayanana Chhak in ward no. 48, where the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had initiated steps to construct 20 shop rooms under a vending zone project.The order came while hearing a petition filed by Debendra Kumar Das, Narayan Charan Parida, Santosh Kumar Panda and Bhagyadhar Swain, residents of Nimpur. The petitioners challenged a tender notice issued on May 21 for construction of the commercial complex, alleging that the project was being taken up on land belonging to the Puri Jagannath Temple.Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Sukant Kumar Dalai submitted that official Record of Rights documents show the land owner as “Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu Bije, Puri.” He argued that the petitioners have been residing on the plots for years and have built houses there.The process for settlement of the land with occupants is already underway under the state’s uniform land-settlement policy, Dalai claimed in his submissions. He also placed before the court documents relating toapplications filed for purchase and settlement of temple land. One of the petitioners, Bhagyadhar Swain, has applied for settlement of the plot in his possession, the vacation court was informed.The residents contended that establishment of the vending zone would jeopardise their homes and affect their claims for regularisation of the land. They sought the court’s intervention to stop the project until the ownership and settlement issues are resolved.Taking note of the submissions, the high court issued notices to the state government, CMC, the Cuttack collector, the Tangi-Choudwar tehsildar and the Puri Jagannath Temple Administration, seeking their responses. “In the interim, status quo as on date regarding the nature, character, possession and ownership of the property shall be maintained,” the bench ordered.The matter is scheduled to be taken up for admission in the week beginningJuly 27. The case has brought renewed focus on disputes involving land recorded in the name of the Jagannath Temple and the competing claims of long-time occupants and development authorities.
