Odisha to revamp 45-year-old revenue laws; new Land Management Act on the anvil

Odisha government is set to overhaul revenue laws that are over 45 years old, marking a major reform in land administration. A crucial meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari was held on Monday at Lok Seva Bhawan, where the draft proposals for amendments were discussed in detail.

Also Read: Odisha Govt to end British-era land classification system

Briefing the media after the high-level meeting, the Minister said all existing revenue laws will be thoroughly reviewed and amended as deemed necessary. The Orissa Prevention of Land Encroachment Act and the Orissa Government Land Settlement Act will be revised.

In addition, a new Land Management Act will be introduced, for which the draft has already been prepared.
The draft will soon be placed before the Revenue Department for approval. Once cleared, it will be uploaded on the official website for a month to invite public suggestions and feedback.

After incorporating the necessary inputs, the proposal will be sent to Law Department, followed by Cabinet approval. The final step will be passage in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, after which the new law will come into force, the Revenue Minister said.

“The revenue laws will be simplified so that common people will be able to understand them and, in turn, be benefited by using them. An effort in this regard has started. Elaborate discussions were carried out. Now, we will give a concrete shape to the draft proposal. It will come to me for approval and then to the Cabinet,” the Minister expressed.

Worth mentioning, previously, the Revenue Minister had also hinted at a major overhaul of the State’s outdated land classification system. The current 7,000 land types/categories will be reduced to just 27. Land ownership categories will also be streamlined to improve clarity and administrative efficiency.

The Minister had revealed that the current system recognises around 3,000 types of land ownership, many of which are either outdated or have become unnecessary.

This number will be brought down significantly—into double digits—to resolve ongoing disputes between the public and revenue officials caused by overlapping and confusing classifications.

Reported By: Arun Kumar Sahu