Konark: In a significant ruling concerning government land near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Konark Sun Temple, the Odisha Revenue Council has quashed a 1989 order that had recorded more than 11 acres of land in Konark in the name of a private individual. The land, located opposite the Sun Temple, is estimated to be worth over Rs 110 crore at current market rates.Revenue Council member Satyabrat Sahu passed the order while allowing two revision petitions filed by the Puri Collector in November 2025 with the state government’s approval. The Council has directed the encroachment officer concerned to take immediate steps to restore the land to the government account, following verification and correction of the relevant revenue records in accordance with the law.
The ruling is considered significant for the protection of government property and the scrutiny of old land records in the vicinity of one of Odisha’s most prominent heritage landmarks. Earlier revenue records had described the land as unoccupied or old-fallow land. However, an order passed by the then Land Records and Settlement authority in 1989 recorded a portion of it in the name of a private individual.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
