Vedanta University, the world class university project of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, has landed up in further trouble with the Orissa Lok Pal directing a vigilance probe into the land deals. Lok Pal justice PKPatra has directed the government to probe if the handover of the Puri Jagannath temple land to the Anil Agarwal Foundation was in breach of law and whether any official had a role in it. Observing that if the Jaganath Temple Act and the Land Acquisition Act have not been complied with then no temple land will be handed over to the Foundation for the proposed university, Justice Patra has directed ?a vigilance cell be constituted to monitor the land deals?.
The Lok Pal has recommended that the state government should work out a scheme for phase-wise delivery of land required for the university project. He also suggested that the vigilance cell should monitor the progress of the project and see that land is acquired and delivered in a phase-wise manner to the foundation so that it is not misused.
Justice Patra has asked the state government to ensure payment of adequate compensation by the Foundation to those affected by the project.Acting on a petition filed by Dwaraka Mohan Mishra, a trade union leader, the Lok Pal has asked the state government to submit a report within three months after complying with the recommendations given by him in this case.The Lok Pal has also recommended a moratorium on the project till the Anil Agarwal Foundation complies with the legal provisions pointed out by the Ministry of Company Affairs for conversion of its status from private to public company.