Bhubaneswar: The state has intensified efforts to safeguard land belonging to Lord Jagannath by fast-tracking the correction of land records, with the Khordha district administration completing the Record of Rights (RoR) correction for over 4,713 acres of the temple’s land.
Official sources said Saturday that, following directions from the state government, the correction of RoRs relating to land belonging to Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, including properties recorded in the names of intermediaries (Marfatdars), has been taken up on a priority basis across various tehsils in Khordha district.
According to the Khordha District Collector, a total of 4,728.357 acres of Lord Jagannath’s land spread across 796 khatas have been identified in different tehsils of the district. Of this, the RoR correction process has been completed for 4,713.225 acres covering 785 khatas, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing exercise.
The initiative gained momentum following a review meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management Department Additional Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar Padhee, during which officials reviewed measures to safeguard Lord Jagannath’s landed properties, ensure accurate land records and strengthen legal protection for these assets.
In accordance with the decisions taken at the meeting, the Khordha and Bhubaneswar sub-collectors, along with all tehsildars in the district, coordinated closely to expedite the correction of land records.
The district administration has assured that the RoR correction for the remaining khatas will be completed on a priority basis at the earliest. Padhee said the Revenue Department is fully committed to protecting all land belonging to Lord Jagannath through ac curate land records and robust legal safeguards.
He said similar record correction drives are being undertaken across all districts of the state and described the Khordha initiative as a model for replication elsewhere in state. He expressed confidence that the initiative would mark a major step towards safeguarding Lord Jagannath’s landed properties, enhancing transparency in revenue administration and preventing future land-related disputes.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari congratulated Khordha District Collector and his team for successfully carrying out the record correction exercise.
Following the establishment of the Lord Jagannath Land Cell in the Revenue Department, the state government has been undertaking sustained measures to protect, preserve and ensure proper management of Lord Jagannath’s landed properties.