THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
MARCH 7, 2026
In a significant step
towards protecting the land rights of tribal communities and traditional forest
dwellers, the Odisha government has initiated a comprehensive process to
finalize the demarcation of forest lands and correct land records related to
these holdings. The move aims to ensure that the rights granted under the
amended Forest Rights Act are fully implemented and reflected accurately in
official records.
To facilitate this
process, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management
Department, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, on Saturday issued a formal directive to
all District Collectors across the state. The communication instructs district
administrations to expedite the demarcation of forest land rights that have
already been recognized for Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest
dwellers and to complete pending corrections in land records and maps.
As per the
instructions, the Revenue Department will prepare the final maps of forest
lands based on the rights recognized under the amended provisions of the law
relating to the recognition of forest rights of Scheduled Tribes and other
traditional forest dwellers. Once these maps are finalized, the concerned
authorities must incorporate them into the official records maintained either
by the Revenue Department or the Forest Department, depending on where the land
is currently recorded.
The letter further
emphasizes that the entire process must be completed within the stipulated
timeline of three months, in accordance with the relevant provisions of state
rules.
In this context,
District Collectors have been directed to conduct a thorough review of forest
land rights already recognized by field-level authorities. They must ensure the
demarcation of all pending forest land titles and carry out the necessary
corrections in land pattas (RoR) and maps in the ‘Bhulekh’ digital land records
database. The government has set a firm deadline of April 30, 2026, for
completing these tasks.
The Revenue Secretary
has also instructed that all revised and updated information related to these
land records must be immediately incorporated into official government records
once the corrections are made.
The initiative is expected to significantly strengthen the protection of land rights for eligible beneficiaries. With accurate demarcation and updated digital records, tribal communities and traditional forest dwellers will be better positioned to safeguard their land ownership and access various government welfare schemes and development benefits without administrative hurdles.
Officials believe that the timely completion of this exercise will not only bring greater clarity and transparency to forest land ownership but also reinforce the government’s commitment to securing the rights and livelihoods of tribal populations across Odisha.
