The Orissa High Court has admitted two PILs against Bhusan Steel Ltd on encroachment of canal land and illegal construction of railway track on NH 42.

On the illegal construction of rail line on National Highway, the court had issued notices to five parties, including the Secretary to Union Surface Transport, and District Collector of Dhenkanal besides the company authorities to submit their reply within four weeks.

In the second case the court had asked Secretaries of Irrigation, Revenue and Steel and Mines, Dhenkanal Collector and SP besides the Bhusan authorities to reply within the same period.

A local journalist, who had filed the PIL, alleged that the construction of rail line breaching the NH was illegal and violated the NH Act, 1956.

He argued that if a public sector like NALCO had constructed overbridges avoiding breaching of National Highway, why Bhusan would lay its rail line on NH 42 situated in between Meramandali and Banarpal.

The petitioner further stated that the rail line had endangered the lives and property of commuters. The commuters from Western districts and particularly from Talcher and Angul had been facing serious problems because of operation of rail line on National Highway.

On the encroachment of the canal land, the petitioner stated that the World Bank-funded Rengali canal authorities had acquired land under Land acquisition Act for right canal.

Out of these 1360-mt-long canal, an area of 4.57 acre had been forcefully encroached upon by Bhusan Steel authorities for constructing its rail track and an electrical sub-station.

The land, he said, belonged to four local villages acquired by canal authorities for irrigation.

The petitioner had highlighted 12 letters from various officials of the Irrigation department, including from the Secretary of Irrigation, to the Dhenkanal district authorities against the encroachment of the land.

Even an FIR had been filed with Motanga police station in this regard by Irrigation official.

UNI