

BHUBANESWAR: In wake of the alleged fraudulent registration of a large parcel of land in Nuapada district, the state government has directed all collectors to step up monitoring of land registration offices in their respective districts, and ensure strict compliance with rules.
The government has suspended Komna tehsildar and in-charge sub-registrar Sarbeswar Jala in connection with the alleged fraud. A preliminary inquiry reportedly found that Jala had facilitated the fraudulent registration of a large tract of land in collusion with vested interests. The action was taken following a report from the Nuapada collector.
In a message to all district collectors, additional chief secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Arabinda Kumar Padhee stressed the need for close supervision of registration-related activities to prevent such irregularities.
Collectors have been advised to ensure that the additional collector-cum-district registrar in their respective districts regularly monitor the functioning of registration offices. They have also been asked to conduct surprise visits and inspections of registration offices so that violations can be detected and prevented at an early stage.
Padhee said the department has already introduced several technology-based measures to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in the land registration process. He emphasised that technology should be leveraged to the maximum to ensure that registration procedures remain transparent and compliant with prescribed rules.
The department further warned that irregularities in the registration process would not be tolerated and appropriate action would be taken against officials found responsible for violations.