BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Friday demanded a thorough inquiry into the properties owned by Revenue Minister Surjya Narayan Patro and his relatives in Bhubaneswar and other places. The party claimed many of these have been undervalued in the property statement submitted by him.Demanding his resignation, BJP State vice-president Ashok Sahu alleged that Patro has manipulated rules to get a big plot in Nayapalli area of the capital city. Patro, he said, owns a plot N-2/196 measuring 10,926 square feet at Nayapalli with a massive building. Such a huge plot is never given to a single individual from BDA allotment. The Minister has shown the value of the property as merely Rs 55 lakh, which is an understatement, Sahu said, adding that it amounted to perjury on oath. The market value of the plot would not be less than Rs 5.5 crore, he said.The BJP leader said despite this, another plot measuring 43,000 square feet has been allotted in favour of his son by none other than the Chief Minister himself through the General Administration department. He demanded that the plot should be cancelled forthwith.This property, which is worth Rs 35-40 crpre at current market price, has not been mentioned either in his affidavit for the 2009 polls or the property statement made public now. Sahu said this second plot is now being shown as jointly owned by the Minister and his son, which is in gross violation of all existing rules. This also violates the rules for exercise of discretionary power under provision of the Orissa Development Authorities Act, 1983 and also that related to disclosure of immovable property in the Act.Alleging that Patro has undervalued his properties in the statement, Sahu said the value of land owned by him, his wife and son at different places as shown in the 2009 affidavit will be more than Rs 50 cr. But he has shown his property to be worth only Rs 2.43 cr.Patro, however, dismissed the allegations saying it is an attempt by the BJP to defame him.
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