No one will remain landless under new land scheme, vows Odisha CM

Business Standard

2 days ago

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday vowed to ensure that no one in the state remains landless. Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day revenue officers' conference in Bhubaneswar, Majhi also promised to modernise and humanise the state's revenue administration.
'Our government is committed to making the revenue system people-oriented and transparent. Anyone with less than four decimals of land will be considered landless and granted land,' Majhi said.
He stressed that revenue officials at all levels must work diligently for the scheme's effective rollout. He also raised concerns over encroachments on government land, urging tehsildars to take the lead in freeing and protecting such parcels.
Faster decision-making, crackdown on irregularities
The CM announced upcoming reforms in the revenue sector and instructed officials to accelerate decisions on land acquisition and rejection cases, ensuring complete transparency.
'Make speedy decisions on rejection and acquisition cases. Act within deadlines and in a transparent manner,' he said.
Majhi also warned against irregularities in the buying and selling of land belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. 'If any wrongdoing occurs in ST or SC land deals, the responsible officer will be held accountable. The government has zero tolerance on this,' he said.
'Offices must become places of trust, not fear'
The CM called tehsildars the backbone of revenue governance and urged them to make their offices approachable. 'Your office should not be a place of fear but a place of trust,' he added.
He also praised revenue officials for their service during last year's Cyclone Dana.
Revenue Minister and Chief Secretary call for change
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari asked officials to abandon outdated work styles. 'Since the BJP came to power, we've made revenue services more accessible. Treat people with respect and deliver timely services,' he said.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja highlighted the role of young, tech-savvy recruits in transforming public service.
Marking one year of BJP in Odisha
Majhi also marked the one-year anniversary of the BJP forming government in Odisha. 'A year ago, the people chose development and blessed the BJP with a mandate to form a people's government, ending 24 years of BJD rule,' he said.
In a post on X, he described it as 'the victory of truth, the victory of Odia Asmita (pride).'
Election background
The BJP won 78 out of 147 seats in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, forming the government on June 12. The BJD secured 51 seats, Congress 14, CPI(M) 1, and Independents 3.
Majhi, who represents Keonjhar, was sworn in as the state's first BJP Chief Minister alongside two deputies and 13 ministers, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.