The Odisha government has directed district collectors to step up monitoring of land registration offices across the state to ensure transparency, accountability and strict compliance with rules.

The directive comes after a serious alleged land registration fraud surfaced in Nuapada district. The state government has suspended Sarbeswar Jaal, Tahsildar of Komna and Sub-Registrar in charge, following allegations of fraudulent registration of a large parcel of land.

According to the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, a preliminary inquiry indicated that the officer allegedly facilitated the fraudulent registration in collusion with vested interests. The action was taken promptly after the Nuapada Collector brought the matter to the government’s notice.

Revenue and Disaster Management Department Additional Chief Secretary Dr Aravinda Kumar Padhee has advised all district collectors to ensure regular monitoring of registration-related activities through the respective Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) and District Registrars.

Collectors have also been asked to conduct surprise inspections of registration offices and closely examine their functioning. The objective is to identify irregularities at an early stage and prevent fraudulent practices.

The state government has also stressed the importance of technology-driven systems to improve transparency and efficiency in the registration process. Authorities have been directed to make maximum use of technology to strengthen accountability and reduce the scope for manipulation.

The department said such irregularities will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict compliance with prescribed procedures will be ensured, and appropriate action will be taken against officials found responsible for violations.

The latest directive is aimed at strengthening the land registration system and ensuring greater public confidence in property-related transactions across Odisha.

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Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday launched a WhatsApp-based Revenue Grievance Redressal System through the ‘Ama Sathi’ WhatsApp Chatbot, aimed at making revenue administration more transparent, accountable and citizen-centric.

Under the new system, citizens can lodge complaints related to Revenue Department services through WhatsApp at 9437292000. They will also receive updates at every stage of the grievance process, including submission, progress, verification, action taken, resolution or rejection.

Launching the system at Lok Seva Bhawan, Minister Suresh Pujari said the initiative would bring Revenue services closer to citizens and make the grievance redressal process simpler and more accessible.

Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, said the new mechanism would streamline grievance management and strengthen accountability. He added that direct monitoring by the Minister, departmental secretary and senior officials would ensure greater responsiveness in addressing public complaints.

How the Grievance System Works

Citizens can select the relevant grievance category through WhatsApp and submit the required details along with supporting documents. The complaint will then be forwarded to the appropriate authority based on its nature.

For general revenue grievances, the Tahasildar will initially examine the complaint and take necessary action. If field verification or additional information is required, the matter may be forwarded to the concerned Revenue Inspector (RI).

After receiving the RI’s report, the Tahasildar will take further action. Cases requiring higher-level intervention may be escalated to the Sub-Collector, Additional District Magistrate and District Collector.

The grievances will be monitored against prescribed timelines to ensure timely disposal.

Citizens to Receive Updates on WhatsApp

A key feature of the system is continuous communication with complainants. Citizens will receive WhatsApp notifications regarding the status of their grievances, including verification, forwarding to higher authorities and final resolution or rejection.

Once a grievance is disposed of, citizens will also be able to rate the service and provide feedback. The feedback will help the department monitor service quality and introduce improvements.

The system will provide facilities including digital grievance submission, category-wise registration, online tracking, field verification, escalation to higher authorities, digital record-keeping and monitoring.

Wide Range of Revenue Issues Covered

The new system will accept complaints related to land and land records, Record of Rights (RoR), mutation, correction of Column 2, land conversion, partition, encroachment, demarcation, OLR Sections 22 and 23, Regulation 2.0, land revenue or Pauti, registration and stamp duty, disaster and relief, certificates and other Revenue Department-related matters.

The department is also considering integrating grievances submitted physically at Revenue offices into the unified digital system in the future. This would allow both online and offline complaints to be tracked through a single platform.

The ‘Ama Sathi’ WhatsApp Chatbot already provides several Revenue services, including mutation, land conversion, marriage registration, society registration, registration-related information, certified copies of registered documents, caste certificates, income certificates and residential certificates.

During the launch programme, the process of filing grievances through WhatsApp by citizens from Rayagada, Jharsuguda and Cuttack was demonstrated, along with their subsequent management and resolution by the administration.

The programme was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, CMGI Executive Director Surendra Kumar Meena and senior officials of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department. Collectors, Additional District Magistrates, Tahasildars and other officials from various districts participated virtually.

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