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Prime land for Reliance outlet opposed

BERHAMPUR: Social organisations and political parties opposed the move to give prime land in the city for Reliance retail outlet.

They say the move will be detrimental for growth plans of public institutions of the city.

The citizen activists feel these few existing open land patches inside city premises can be used for better public purpose.

The city unit of the CPI(M) has alleged that the officials of Berhampur Development Authority, Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) and the state energy department are trying to hand over prime land inside the city to the company.

At a press conference the leaders of the party declared that they would initiate mass agitation if the company did not drop its proposal. They alleged that after handing over the prime land for Gajapati Plaza to Forum Mart at low rates the BDA is now trying satisfy the needs of the Reliance group. According to sources, the Reliance authorities are planning to locate two outlets in prime lands in the city. One of them is unused land of OSRTC adjacent to Khallikote Autonomous College and the other is a patch of open land in the ‘Bidyutpuri Complex’ area which was developed by the erstwhile Orissa State Electricity Board (OSEB).

It is now under the State Energy Department. Students of Khallikote Autonomous College as well as its alumni have been demanding the State government for last several years to hand over the land of the OSRTC to college for its extension. There is also demand for deemed university status for this more than 125-year-old institute. But unless it gets the OSRTC land, space constraint would be a stumbling block for its future development.

However, some OSRTC officials claim that transfer of their land to Realiance would help in consolidating the losses of the transport corporation.

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