Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Revenue & Disaster Management Department has directed all district Collectors to undertake a comprehensive, time-bound review of government land that has remained unutilised for long periods or is being used for purposes other than those for which it was sanctioned.
Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, issued the directions to the Collectors, emphasising the need to protect government land and ensure its systematic, productive and lawful utilisation.
The review will cover government land provided through advance possession, permissive possession, lease or alienation to government departments, corporations, institutions, organisations and individuals.
According to the department, in some cases such land has either remained unused or has been diverted for purposes other than those approved. Such instances, it said, undermine the objective of allotting government land and require corrective action.
Collectors have been asked to take action under Rule 11-A of the Odisha Government Land Settlement Rules, 1983, including prompt field verification of pending cases.
Where land is found to be unutilised or being used for purposes other than the sanctioned purpose, steps are to be taken, as per law, for revesting it with the government.
Similarly, the utilisation status of land held under permissive possession will be verified. If such land is lying vacant or the conditions governing permissive possession are not being followed, action will be taken under Rule 9-A(2) of the OGLS Rules, 1983.
The department has also ordered a case-wise review of government land leased to institutions, organisations and individuals.
Cases where leased land has remained unutilised for more than three years from the date of settlement, or where it is being used for purposes other than those sanctioned, will be identified for resumption.
Where applicable, action under Section 3-B of the Odisha Government Land Settlement Act, 1962, will be taken following due legal procedure and the principles of natural justice.
After completion of the resumption process, the land will be restored to government possession and necessary corrections will be made in revenue records.
Government land transferred to various departments for specific projects will also undergo field-level verification.
If any land, or a portion of it, has remained unutilised for more than three years and is no longer required for the purpose for which it was transferred, the concerned department will be asked to relinquish it and restore it to the Revenue & Disaster Management Department.
In cases of partial utilisation, the necessity of retaining the unused portion will also have to be specifically examined and recorded.
Stringent action against encroachment
The department has directed district administrations to take prompt and stringent action against encroachments on leased or alienated government land in accordance with the applicable rules.
Padhee stressed that government land is a valuable public resource and that all concerned have a responsibility to protect it from misuse, unauthorised occupation and unauthorised retention.
He further directed revenue officials to discharge their statutory responsibilities without fear, favour, pressure or influence, particularly in cases involving influential individuals or organisations.
The department warned that if government officers or employees are found to have colluded with vested interests, corrupt individuals or other unethical entities in the misuse of government land, stringent disciplinary as well as criminal action will be initiated under applicable laws.
Each district will maintain a comprehensive record of cases reviewed, cases identified for action, processes initiated and completed, and land restored to the government account.
For regular monitoring, Collectors have been directed to submit monthly online progress reports by the 5th of every month in four separate categories — Advance Possession, Permissive Possession, Resumption and Relinquishment.
The entire exercise has been declared a priority assignment, with Collectors made personally responsible for ensuring that eligible cases are acted upon without unnecessary delay or negligence.
The Revenue & Disaster Management Department said the exercise is aimed at safeguarding government land and ensuring its proper, lawful and productive utilisation as a valuable public resource.