Odisha Speeds Up Bebandobast Land Settlement, Sets Targets for Record Correction

Bhubaneswar: In a push to streamline land administration and ensure timely delivery of services, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Monday directed officials to expedite the settlement of Bebandobast lands and accelerate correction of land records across the state.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, the Minister emphasised clearing pending cases on priority, particularly in districts such as Cuttack, Puri, Bhadrak, Bolangir and Jagatsinghpur. Officials were instructed to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive Record of Rights (RoRs) without delay.

Reviewing progress, the department noted that out of around 38,000 acres of pending Bebandobast land, nearly 7,000 acres were settled in favour of rightful tenants in the previous year. The Minister directed that cases where applicants have not deposited the required ‘Salami’ be addressed through show-cause notices, with a one-month deadline for compliance.

Bebandobast lands—where ownership has not been formally recorded—are treated as government land until settlement is completed through due process. Officials said the process is being strengthened to ensure accurate land records, prevent encroachments, and improve revenue administration. A consolidated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is also being prepared by merging existing circulars and guidelines.

The meeting also reviewed progress under the special drive for correction of Column-2 entries in land records. Surveys have been completed for over 62 lakh records, with corrections already made in nearly 58.8 lakh cases. Revenue Inspectors have now been assigned monthly targets of surveying 250–300 cases to expedite the process.

To improve service delivery for farmers, officials from the Agriculture Department have been asked to speed up farmer registration, Aadhaar linkage, and integration with updated land records, enabling easier access to government benefits.

Additional Chief Secretary Arabinda Padhee highlighted that districts will be ranked monthly based on performance, with strict action against officials failing to meet targets. He also stressed the need for transparency and zero tolerance towards illegal encroachment on government land.

The Minister further directed officials to ensure swift damage assessment and relief distribution in the event of natural disasters such as thunderstorms. He also instructed that all OAS and ORS officers must join their new postings within seven days of transfer orders, warning of strict action, including salary stoppage, for non-compliance.