CUTTACK: Expressing dissatisfaction over an affidavit filed by Member, Board of Revenue CJ Venugopal regarding disposal of cases by different revisional courts, the Orissa High Court sought a fresh affidavit on Wednesday.
The high court had directed the Member, Board of Revenue to file an affidavit indicating the reason for not taking up of matters filed in 2022 for admission as yet, in various revisional courts in the matter of Orissa Survey & Settlement Act, 1958 and Orissa Consolidation of Holdings & Prevention of Fragmentation of Land Act, 1972, for land disputes in the state.
The affidavit should also indicate number of such courts functioning in the state and the status of cases pending as on date, Justice BP Satapathy had specified in the order on September 11.
The order was issued while considering a petition filed by Guruprasad Mohapatra, a resident of Odagaon in Nayagarh district.
Complying with the order, the Member, Board of Revenue filed an affidavit before the single judge bench on Wednesday.
In the affidavit, Venugopal stated that 40 revisional courts are functioning in the state and a total 1,31,532 cases are pending before them. At least 91,946 pending cases are in the matter of Orissa Survey & Settlement Act, 1958 and 39,586 of Orissa Consolidation of Holdings & Prevention of Fragmentation of Land Act, 1972. Of these, 7,787 cases are pending for admission.
However, Justice Satapathy said the court finds that no specific guideline has been indicated as to how such vast number of pending cases will be taken up by the revisional courts functioning in the state. This court also finds that the revisional courts are not functioning on regular basis and there is no prescribed guideline being followed for listing of the matter at the stage of admission and hearing. Justice Satapathy posted the matter to October 7.