CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to streamline the functioning of Settlement and Consolidation authorities and monitor old and long-pending revision cases.
The single-judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi observed that prolonged pendency of revision proceedings cause avoidable hardship and uncertainty to litigants, particularly in disputes involving land records and possession.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Rukmini Pradhan, represented by advocate Jitendra Kumar Lenka, challenging a May 22 notice issued by the tehsildar, Cuttack Sadar, directing her to vacate alleged government land. Pradhan claimed that she was in possession of 0.10 acre and five kadis of land at Gopalpur under a registered sale deed executed in 1978. She contended that although only 0.10 acre was recorded in her name during consolidation, the additional five kadis covered by the sale deed were wrongly left out.
She had approached the Settlement and Consolidation authority through the revision case of 2020 seeking correction of the record. The proceeding has remained pending.
The court directed the revenue authorities to conduct the scheduled demarcation on August 21 in the presence of the petitioner and all parties involved. It also directed the joint commissioner-cum-additional commissioner, Settlement and Consolidation, Cuttack, to dispose of the revision case of 2020 preferably within one month of receiving the certified order, after giving all parties an opportunity of hearing and passing a reasoned order.
As an interim measure, the court ordered that no coercive action be taken against Pradhan concerning the land claimed by her in the pending revision proceeding.