70-yr-old woman alleges Rs 52L land compensation claimed by another with same name

Rourkela: A 70-year-old displaced woman from Sundargarh district has alleged that her compensation amount of Rs 52.68 lakh was fraudulently claimed by another person with the same name, highlighting potential irregularities in the land acquisition process.
Dilmati Kanwar, a resident of Jamkani village in Hemgir block, had given up 17.56 acres of land for Jamkani coal mines in 2006. While she received initial compensation of Rs 56,25,180 in Jan 2009, she claims she never received the additional compensation amount of Rs 52.68 lakh.
The fraud came to light when the land acquisition office (LAO) in Sundargarh discovered that the amount was credited to another Dilmati Kanwar's account at a public sector bank's branch in Hemgir on March 1, 2013. Sources said the beneficiary is from nearby Mendra village, raising suspicions of possible collusion between brokers and officials.
"My family and I have been running from pillar to post to get justice, but we are yet to receive our rightful compensation," said Kanwar, who has now refused to accept additional compensation of over Rs 2 crore until the disputed amount is resolved.
On Thursday, Kanwar met revenue minister Suresh Pujari, who assured her of justice. Sundargarh collector Manoj Mahajan has directed the LAO to investigate the matter.
"We received the complaint last year about the unreceived compensation amount. Bank records confirm the payment was made to someone with the same name. Following the collector's directions, we are conducting a detailed inquiry," said Sanjeeb Pandey, LAO, Sundargarh.