Expressing concern over problems faced by land owners due to non-updation of names in record-of-rights (RoRs), Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Revenue, Satyabrata Sahu asked Collectors to organise special drives to update such RoRs.

The ACS has written a letter to all Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs), Director, Land Records and Survey, and Collectors in this regard. 

In Odisha, record-of-rights were prepared and finally published between 1960 and 2013. In many cases, there has been no further revision settlement. In between, more than two generations have passed; so in many cases, these record-of-rights may not reflect the field reality, Sahu said.

The RoRs may contain the names of the predecessors of the present tenants in Column 2 of the record-of-rights. There may be joint holdings in record-of-rights in the name of the tenants who are dead long ago. In some old cases, the tenants have not approached the Tehsil for mutation after purchase of land and thus, land records may have not been updated, he said.

In such cases where land records are not updated, the actual tenants are facing problems in availing formal credit from banks, housing loan, benefits from many Government welfare schemes due to requirement of elaborate documentation for not having their names in record-of-rights. They also face difficulties in obtaining various miscellaneous and Caste certificates, ACS Sahu pointed out.

After death of the recorded tenants, the names of their legal heirs/ successor-in-interest can be substituted in column-2 of the record-of-rights on the grounds of inheritance and thus record-of-rights can be updated by concerned Tehsildar, he directed.

ACS Sahu directed that Tehsildar/Additional Tehsildar dispose of at least 100 partition cases and 100 suo-moto mutation cases per month for updation of RoR so as to reflect the ground reality on land records.

He also instructed for holding virtual hearings through video conferencing to dispose of the cases where the recorded tenants are staying outside.

There are 51,727 revenue villages in the State and 2,718 in RI circles. One RI circle, on average, comprises 20-25 villages within its jurisdiction. Hence, ACS Sahu directed that RI is to collect forms/ applications for updation of record of rights by way of partition under OLR Act, 1960 or by way of correction of record-of-rights for recording the name of present tenants in camp mode.