In a major administrative drive aimed at bringing relief to thousands of landowners and farmers, the Odisha Government’s Revenue and Disaster Management Department has issued a firm directive to all district collectors: clear every single pending case of land revenue abatement and Record of Rights (RoR) amendment related to acquired land by 30 May 2026.
Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee has written to district collectors, stressing the need for “expeditious and time-bound” action so that rightful compensation reaches affected families and land records reflect ground reality without further delay. The move is in line with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013, which guarantees fair compensation and transparency.
Officials said many land acquisition cases from earlier government orders have remained stuck for months, leading to outdated records and, in some cases, unauthorised sale or transfer of disputed plots. “This creates unnecessary litigation and harassment for genuine landowners,” a senior revenue officer noted.
To end the delay once and for all, the department has laid down a clear roadmap:
- Collectors must set monthly targets and get tehsildars to complete the work on the ground.
- Sub-Collectors will monitor progress closely.
- Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs) will review the status every two months.
- The Board of Revenue will conduct a quarterly review and submit a consolidated report to the department.
All pending revenue abatement proposals and Record of Rights amendments proposed by Land Acquisition Officers (LAOs) must be processed and finalised by the deadline. After completion, district collectors will have to submit a detailed report in the prescribed format to the Revenue Department by 15 June 2026.
The government has made it clear that this is not just another circular — it is a commitment to clean, efficient and people-friendly revenue administration. By ensuring timely updates in land records, the administration hopes to prevent illegal transactions, reduce disputes and restore trust among people whose land has been acquired for public purposes.
For farmers and project-affected families across Odisha, the May 30 deadline brings a ray of hope that their long-pending grievances will finally be addressed and their land records will be corrected once and for all. The clock is now ticking.
