Board of Revenue Launches New Website, Quarterly Journal to Strengthen Revenue Justice in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Board of Revenue on Friday launched a new website and a quarterly journal aimed at improving access to revenue-related information and strengthening consistency and transparency in the administration of land and revenue laws.

Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari formally launched both initiatives in the presence of Member, Board of Revenue, Satyabrata Sahu; Secretary, Board of Revenue, Laxmikant Sethi; senior revenue officials and employees.

The launch comes amid a sharp increase in the disposal of revenue cases. Around 11,000 cases have been disposed of in the last eight months by 41 Revisional Courts functioning under the Board of Revenue, prompting the institution to shift from its earlier annual publication of case decisions to a quarterly journal.

Speaking at the event, Pujari said the website and journal represented more than the launch of a digital platform and a publication, describing them as steps towards making technology, information and judicial knowledge more accessible across the revenue administration.

The new website brings together information on the activities, branches and divisions of the Board of Revenue. It also provides access to information related to key revenue institutions, including the Commissioner of Land Reforms, Commissioner of Land Records and Settlement, Commissioner of Consolidation and Inspector General of Registration.

The quarterly journal has been conceived as a knowledge resource for revenue justice, covering important orders and decisions relating to land disputes, correction of land records, land classification, title and possession, mutation, leases, government land and other complex revenue matters.

Earlier, the Board’s journal was generally published annually, with important orders compiled at the end of each year. The substantial increase in the disposal of cases has now necessitated a more frequent publication so that significant judicial decisions can reach revenue officers and courts in a timely manner.

The journal is expected to serve as a practical reference for Tahasildars, Additional Tahasildars, Sub-Collectors and other revenue officers handling complex cases. Decisions in similar matters can help field-level authorities understand the application of revenue laws, promote consistency in decision-making and reduce ambiguity in the judicial process.

Pujari stressed the need to strengthen the infrastructure and manpower of the Board of Revenue to facilitate faster disposal of land and revenue cases. He also appreciated the Board’s efforts towards expeditious and impartial adjudication.

The minister particularly lauded the Board’s recent decisions concerning the protection and restoration of the land assets of Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath.

Sahu said the new website would connect the Board’s longstanding administrative legacy with modern technology and provide citizens and officials with organised access to information from across its divisions and associated revenue institutions.

The website and journal are intended to complement each other, with the digital platform making information about the Board more accessible to citizens while the journal disseminates judicial knowledge and experience across different levels of the revenue administration.

Pujari also urged officers at various levels of the Revenue Department to regularly study the journal so that established legal principles and judicial decisions can contribute to more informed and consistent handling of revenue matters.