The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has launched a sharp attack on the BJP government’s handling of the Revenue & Disaster Management Department, describing the past two years as marked by “governance breakdown, chronic delays, corruption scandals, and glaring shortcomings in disaster relief.”
In a strongly worded press release issued today, BJD Media Coordinator and Spokesperson Dr Lenin Mohanty accused the ruling dispensation of failing to deliver on promises of transparency and efficiency, leaving ordinary citizens—especially in rural and tribal areas—to bear the brunt of administrative inefficiency.
Land Records Crisis Deepens
The party highlighted severe backlogs in mutation cases, Record of Rights (RoR) updates, land revenue abatements, and compensation disbursals. Thousands of applications remain pending across districts, forcing people into prolonged uncertainty and legal battles. Despite the government setting multiple deadlines for clearing pendency, ground-level progress has been minimal, the BJD claimed.
Public frustration has grown over alleged harassment by officials, reliance on middlemen, and outdated paper-based systems. The statement also pointed to frequent vigilance raids on Tahasil offices, disproportionate assets cases against revenue officials, and irregularities in land registration as signs of deep-rooted corruption.
The government’s own admission of needing special drives to clear backlogs, coupled with last year’s statewide agitation by Revenue Ministerial Employees that paralysed services for days, has only underscored the administrative mismanagement, according to the BJD.
One particularly poignant example cited was the plight of a tribal family in Keonjhar who endured severe hardship due to inexplicable delays in obtaining basic certificates.
Disaster Management Shortfalls
While praising Odisha’s past global reputation in disaster preparedness, the BJD said the BJP government has failed to sustain those standards. Thousands of crores meant for mitigation and response reportedly remained unutilised for long periods. The party alleged irregularities in compensation distribution, fake beneficiary claims, manipulated damage assessments, and procurement issues have deprived genuine victims of timely help.
Recurring losses from lightning strikes, heatwaves, floods, and droughts continue to expose gaps in last-mile delivery, public awareness campaigns, and support for vulnerable tribal and remote communities. “Governance is not measured by announcements but by outcomes,” Dr Mohanty asserted. “The people of Odisha deserve a transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric Revenue & Disaster Management system. The BJP government must own up to these failures and take urgent corrective steps.”
The BJD has called upon the government to implement meaningful reforms, modernise land administration, strengthen disaster response mechanisms, and restore public trust.
