Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government has directed the District Collectors to dispose off the Online Applications for conversion of Agricultural Lands within stipulated 60 working days.
Bishnupada Sethi, Principal Secretary Revenue & Disaster Management has issued clear cut instructions to the District Collectors in this regard, with a warning as any deviation will be viewed seriously.
While Odisha Government in order to achieve Citizen-Centric Governance in sync with 5T Initiatives of the State Government the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management is facilitating filing Online Applications for conversion of agricultural lands in a time bound manner, several complaints are being received from Citizens over delay and harassment.
Looking at the seriousness of the issue, Department of Revenu & Disaster Management has issued detailed Process Flow Chart for the purpose, which says that the applicant will submit Online Application, which will auto forwarded to the concerned Tahsildar without any delay.
Tahsildar will verify the application and will forward it for remarks of concerned Revenue Inspector, who will conduct field inquiry and will ascertain that the change of classification of the applied land is permissible or not.
He will also calculate Conversion Fee for the land and with detailed report it will be sent to Tahsildar.
Tahsildar on receipt of the RI Report will ensure that Report is in order and if the proposed conversion is under Town Planning or Development Authority, he shall obtain their opinion. Concerned authorities will provide their opinion within 30 days of the receipt of the same, failing it will be deemed that there is no objection to the applied conversion.
In case the land is not covered under any Town Planning or Development Authority, then Tahsildar will pass necessary orders.
If the land is in the vicinity of a protected monument, Archeological Site and there is prohibition for conversion of land, then the relevant guidelines issued by Archeological Survey of India shall be followed meticulously.
In case the Tahsildar is required to conduct a personal inquiry he may do so within a reasonable time.
In case the conversion of land is 1/4th of an acre or more, the case along with RI Report and views of Tahsildar will be forwarded to concerned Sub Collector , who will pass appropriate order as per Law within 7 working days and remit the case Online to concerned Tahsildar.
After passing necessary order or receipt of order from Sub Collector, Tahsildar will intimate the applicant by e-Mail or his given address as the case may be to deposit conversion fee, online in the designated account.
In case the applicant does not deposit the necessary fee, the application may be rejected on valid grounds shall be informed to the applicant.
On the other hand, when the applicant has deposited requisite fee, Tahsildar shall ensure correction of Record of Right (RoR) and dispatch the same through Speed Post without delay.
Accordingly District Collectors have been directed to brought these instruction to the notice of the filed functionaries and the Government has impressed upon that when the State Government do not intend to promote indiscriminate conversion of agricultural land and simultaneously restrictive measures can not be used as a tool by Tahsildars to harass the citizens, warned Principal Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management.
