By PRADEEP KUMAR SUBUDHI
Bhubaneswar, January 16: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered authorities to expedite the resolution of the long-standing land dispute in Jatani’s Ekharajat Mahal. The Chief Minister's office has directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department and the Principal Secretary of the Law Department to take immediate action to ensure justice for the affected people in Jatani.
In response to the Chief Minister’s order, Anupam Saha, Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister, has requested the concerned Departments to correct the Records of Rights (ROR) for the landholders (Raiyats) of the Ekharajat Mahal. This request, which was submitted by MP Aparajita Sarangi, seeks to address the discrepancies in the land records and ensure the issuance of corrected RORs in favor of the Raiyats.
Nikunja Bihari Dhal, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, has also emphasized the urgency of the issue and instructed the concerned departments to act swiftly, per the Chief Minister's directions.
The land dispute has caused significant distress for thousands of residents in the Jatani area, with over one lakh people affected by the issue.
On January 3, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, along with local BJP leader Biswaranjan Badajena and other community leaders, met with Chief Minister Majhi at the Secretariat to discuss the matter. Sarangi later shared that the Chief Minister had listened attentively to their concerns and assured them that the issue would be resolved quickly.
Sarangi explained that the Ekharajat Mahal comprises 156 villages that were once part of Tapanga Pragana. During the land settlement process between 2000 and 2012, tenant rights were recorded for 120 of these villages, but 36 villages were mistakenly left out. As a result, the land in those 36 villages was wrongly recorded under the name of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in Puri. Sarangi described this as a "blunder" by revenue officials, not just a simple error.
Badajena pointed out that the issue has remained unresolved for over 12 years, leaving over one lakh people without rightful access to their land due to the previous government's negligence. He thanked CM Majhi for his commitment to take action in favor of the tenants.
Historical Context:
The land in question was vested with the state government on March 18, 1974. Since then, tenants from the affected villages have been paying land revenue to the government and have been recognized as legitimate landholders. However, in 2012, a controversial decision by previous government officials redefined land ownership for the tenants of the 36 villages, mistakenly assigning ownership to the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Previous Government's Efforts:
In 2020-21, the previous BJD government formed two high-level committees to address the issue. These committees recommended granting tenants in the 36 villages the same rights as those in the other 120 villages. However, no concrete action was taken to implement these recommendations.
Sarangi clarified that the disputed land is not part of the “Amruta Manohi (literally nectar food)” land of the Shree Jagannath Temple, but was originally allocated to the Raja of Khurda by the British government in 1863. The Raja had been collecting revenue from tenants until 1974 when the state government assumed control of the land.
MP Aparajita Sarangi said that under CM Majhi’s leadership, justice would be delivered to the tenants of the 36 villages, restoring their rightful ownership of the land. She stressed the importance of updating the Record of Rights to reflect the legitimate claims of the tenants and urged authorities to act promptly and fairly.
