Cuttack: Shri Satyabrata Sahu, Member of the Board of Revenue, chaired a high-level review meeting to expedite the functioning of 41 revisional courts across Odisha. The meeting focused on streamlining land administration processes and ensuring the timely delivery of justice for citizens involved in land-related litigation.
Presiding officers from courts in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar attended the session in person, while Additional Secretaries of the Revenue Department, revenue officers from the administrations of Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj, Revenue Commissioners, and District Collectors joined virtually.
During the deliberations, Shri Sahu emphasized the importance of clearing the backlog of cases through efficient court management. He issued a specific directive to all presiding officers to conduct revisional court sessions at least three times a week.
To support this pace, he instructed lower offices such as Tahasils and Settlement offices to prioritize the submission of parawise reports and lower court records to the revision courts without delay. Furthermore, the Board of Revenue has mandated the immediate implementation of orders issued by the Hon’ble High Court.
To enhance transparency and accessibility for the public, especially those traveling from remote areas, Shri Sahu stressed the full utilization of the CCMS 2.0 technology platform. He directed that daily cause lists, interim orders, and final judgments must be updated digitially in real-time. In a move to reduce unnecessary delays, a policy decision was highlighted stating that if a petitioner remains absent for more than three consecutive hearings, the case may be dismissed.
Shri Sahu also addressed the handling of long-pending cases related to old sale deeds. In accordance with recent government notifications and Standard Operating Procedures, these cases are to be transferred to the respective Tahasil offices for swift resolution.
A critical component of the review involved the protection of sensitive land categories. Shri Sahu instructed presiding officers to be vigilant in safeguarding government lease lands, forest lands, and properties belonging to Lord Jagannath, Lord Lingaraj, and other public deities.
He also underscored the legal protections required for lands belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The overarching goal of these directives is to prevent land-related corruption, ensure the security of government property, and provide a transparent judicial process for the general public.