THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 19, 2026

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday launched a WhatsApp-based grievance redressal system for revenue-related complaints, allowing citizens to lodge grievances digitally and track their progress without having to visit government offices.

The Revenue Grievance Redressal System, integrated with the state's Ama Sathi WhatsApp Chatbot, was launched at Lok Seva Bhawan here with the stated objective of making revenue administration more transparent, citizen-centric and accountable.

Citizens can lodge complaints relating to revenue services through WhatsApp at 9437292000, select the appropriate grievance category, submit details and upload supporting documents, officials said.

"The initiative will bring revenue services closer to the people and ensure a clean, transparent and accountable revenue administration," Pujari said while launching the system.

The minister described the initiative as an important step towards modernising the Revenue Department and making public services simpler and more accessible.

He expressed the hope that the digital mechanism would strengthen public confidence in the administration and emerge as a landmark citizen-centric governance initiative of the Odisha government.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, said the system had been designed to bring greater accountability and responsiveness into the handling of public grievances.

Under the mechanism, complaints will be routed to the appropriate authority depending on their nature.

For ordinary revenue grievances, the Tahsildar will initially examine the complaint and take necessary action. If field verification, additional information or a field report is required, the Tahsildar can forward the matter to the Revenue Inspector (RI).

After submission of the RI's report, the complaint will be returned to the Tahsildar for further action. Matters requiring greater administrative intervention can be escalated to the Sub-Collector and subsequently to the Additional District Magistrate and District Collector.

The complaints will be monitored against prescribed timelines to ensure that action and decisions are taken within the stipulated period, officials said.

One of the key features of the system is a stage-wise WhatsApp notification mechanism. Complainants will be informed about the submission, progress, verification, transfer to higher authorities, resolution or rejection of their grievances.

Citizens will also be informed of the final outcome after disposal of a complaint and will have the option of rating the grievance-handling service and providing feedback.

"This direct monitoring and supervision will make officials more responsible and sensitive towards public grievances," Padhee said, adding that the system would be further simplified and made more people-friendly based on requirements.

The digital platform provides for online filing and tracking of complaints, category-wise submission, complaint management at the Tahsildar level, field verification by Revenue Inspectors, escalation to higher authorities, stage-wise citizen notifications and digital records and monitoring.

The system covers a wide range of revenue-related grievances, including land and land records, Record of Rights, mutation, correction of Column 2, land conversion, partition, encroachment, demarcation, OLR Sections 22 and 23, Regulation 2.0, land revenue receipts, registration and stamp duty, disaster and relief, certificates and other Revenue Department-related matters.

The Ama Sathi WhatsApp chatbot was already being used to provide several revenue services, including mutation, land conversion, marriage registration, society registration, registration-related information, certified copies of registered documents, caste, income and residence certificates and other certificates.

With the addition of the grievance redressal facility, citizens can now raise service-related complaints through the same digital channel.

The department is also considering digitising complaints submitted physically at revenue offices and integrating them into the same unified grievance management platform. This would allow both online and in-person complaints to be managed and tracked through a common system.

The new mechanism is expected to create a structured digital workflow for the department, with clearly assigned responsibilities, transparent tracking, monitoring and citizen feedback, officials said.

During the launch, citizens from Rayagada, Jharsuguda and Cuttack demonstrated the process of filing grievances through WhatsApp, while officials showcased the subsequent handling and resolution process.

CMGI Executive Director Surendra Kumar Meena and senior officials of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department attended the launch programme. District Collectors, Additional District Collectors, Tahsildars and other officials from various districts joined the event virtually.