BHUBANESWAR: The state government has initiated deliberations on simplification of land kisams (type of land use) and satwas (type of land holding) for better administration of land revenue and quick delivery of services. The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
"The existing rules regarding kisam and satwa are quite old and need more simplification in context of changing socioeconomic scenario,' said Member, Board of Revenue, CJ Venugopal. Addl Chief Secretary (Revenue and Disaster Management) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said that rationalisation of different kisams of land will make transfer of land and extension of benefits to farmers easier and quicker.
It would also make the revenue payment system easier for the people, he added. The Chief Secretary directed the officials to do elaborate consultations with different stakeholders, including people’s representatives. "Informed consultations will check spread of misconceptions and will be helpful in people’s acceptance,' Tipathy said.
It was decided to hold consultations at revenue division and district levels. Recent reforms like digitisation of land records, land record management system, Bhulekh and Bhunaksa point to the need for rationalisation of land use and holdings.
“At present, 7,797 kisams of land are reflected in record of rights (RoRs) of the people in different parts of Odisha. It is mainly because of the use of several vernacular languages even with duplications. Too many numbers of vernacular names are used for same type of land use,” Venugopal said. Different types of land use are also not clearly recorded on RoRs.
A number of kismas make it difficult for calculation of various benefits to be extended to farmers during natural calamities and payment of land compensations, he added. Similarly, around 750 different terms are being used for recording of the kind of land holdings. Simplification of the kisams and satwas with limited number of types will transfer fuzzy records to a clear and strong ownership over the land.