Over 53,480 Acres of Government Land Encroached in Odisha

03 Dec 2024 CW Team

Odisha's government has reported that over 53,480 acres of state land remain encroached upon across several districts. The state's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Suresh Pujari, informed the Assembly that the removal of these encroachments is an ongoing process, as per the Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment (OPLE) Act, 1972. In response to a query from BJD legislator Arun Kumar Sahoo, the minister disclosed that 55,293 acres of the 1,08,773 acres of encroached land had already been cleared.

The department issued instructions to all 30 district collectors in July and September, urging them to remove the encroachments. Furthermore, the minister emphasised that the government was taking necessary steps at the district level to ensure compliance with the OPLE Act. In a letter to the collectors, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Satyabrata Sahu urged a realistic survey of encroachments in both rural and urban areas. The collectors were also instructed to protect cleared land by building fences and displaying prominent boards, using allocated funds.

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