It would be hard to believe for anyone that Sanatan Mahakud, an independent MLA of Odisha mineral-rich tribal belt has indicated a buffeting 1,700 percent growth in value in just five years. Last year i.e., in 2014 MLA Sanatan Mahakud stated in his affidavit in that he owns his total property worth Rs. 51 crore while earlier in the year 2009 contesting the election on a Congress ticket he showed that he owns a property of Rs. 3 crore.

The steep rise in the wealth of the MLA Sanatan Mahakud is raising many questions and is driving the attention of people across the nation.

What Was the Jackpot Which Made MLA from Scrawny to Brawny?

While contesting the election in the year 2014 though the independent MLA failed to state his profession in the affidavit while he claimed to be of owning total moveable properties worth Rs. 50.42 crore. A person new to the his constituency and the district of Keonjhar would be left in surprise after knowing from the locals that this MLA who won the 2014 elections distributes money to more than half the families in his Champua constituency ranging with Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 monthly.

There are hearsays which claim that this independent MLA has backed many other political leaders and MLA who contested elections from Orissa Keonjhar district who all usually are referred as Sanatan Mahakudna Samarthita Prarthi, or Sanatan Mahakud-backed candidates. Here again a question arises what makes an independent MLA to back other independent MLA’s in the elections and how is able to flush money to do all this?

Analyzing the filed affidavits of the Sanatan Mahakud political pundits and the activists are questioning what made the sudden1,700%  rise in the wealth of the MLA in five years of duration Rs 3 crore to Rs 51 crore.

Rise of Sanatan Mahakud as Unquestionable Hero

Keonjhar district of Orissa used to be controlled by the four local leaders way back in the year 2000. Later after the a Tamil Nadu contractor who took over the mineral rich areas of Keonjhar started controlling the area for the benefits of Thriveni Earthmovers which garnering a turnover of Rs 1,300 crore now while it used to earn Rs 90 crore 15 years back.

This exemplifies the richness and the scale of business contractor B Prabhakaran is involved in. in the mean time the local leader Sanatan Mahakud  took over the other three satraps of the district with the aid of Prabhakaran which made his way to emerging out as MLA of the Champua constituency from a transporting ore businessmen.

Locals of the Champua constituency and the Keonjhar district in Orissa report that since past 15 years there has been a parallel rise of both Prabhakaran and Mahakud in their domains respectively while the contractor said to the kind maker who rules over the MLA. On the condition of the anonymity a local contractor says that it was Prabhakaran who created Sanatan Mahakud for his business benefits. The contractor says “Usko Prabhakaran ne hi aadmi banaya. Us se pehle woh kuch nahin tha (meaning: It was Prabhkaran who made Mahakud what he is today. He was nothing before all this).”

Speaking over the distribution of money by the Sanatan Mahakud the contractor said . “Deta Prabhakaran hi hain. Lekin Sanatan ke dwara. This makes the people to forget the long run problems the illegal mining in the region as they a get Rs 2,000 monthly, they start considering Sanatan their God. They do what he tells them to do. If he says go sit at a mine, do not let them work, they will go sit at a mine.”

Emergence Mahakud from Local Leader to Influential Person of Orissa

Grounding the details submitted by the independent MLA, Sanatan Mahakud cited that he has a savings of Rs. 71 lakh in his Joda branch, Bank of India SB account. A moveable property of  Rs. 14.08 crore is being reported to be owned by wife of Sanatan, Shantilata Mahakud. This politico and businessman who never went to any business school is earning heaps of money with his transport business in mineral rich Keonjhar district and his moveable properties show that he is in possession of several mechanised trucks.

Rule over Poor Distressed Villagers and Locals

Brutality of Sanatan Mahakud and the Prabhakaran continues over the region with their control over the region. Locals of the Nayagarh village complain that they have been put under pressure and cannot even speak. Due to the mining a little progress had took place in the area while it has more con’s the pros. Prabhakaran who circulates the money among a few villagers contradicts the statement of villager saying that “nothing was reaching these villages earlier In these ten years, I can see local people have benefited. The facilities have reached everyone.”

Perhaps Prabhakaran was right to a little extent as only one school was equipped with a few necessary facilities while the rest were schools and villages in locality of Keonjhar district in Orissa lacked common infrastructures like the water tanks. A water which was set up by the Thriveni Earthmovers gets water for 15 minutes in the morning and another 15 minutes in the evening which hardly meets the needs of the villagers.

Villagers report that they are brutally beaten to death when they raise questions and complain about the meager facilities being served to them. Peasants  of Keonjhar district allege that due to the mining a crust of red dust that has formed their fields with all these trucks moving around and has increased the elephants movement into their fields. Being the local representative Sanatan Mahakud is ruling over the people’s lives which exemplify the victory over power and money over the weak. Share your thoughts and views with us below in the comment box.