1635 new revenue villages to be redefined in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In an important development which will ensure better governance as well as essential services as well as recognition to lakhs of people mainly in the rural pockets of Odisha as many as 1635 new revenue villages will soon be redefined. This was informed by Suresh Pujari, the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister of Odisha.

As per the information provided by the Minister, Odisha government has decided to redefine the boundaries of as many as 1635 new revenue villages across the state.

The Revenue Department has issued special instructions in this regard and written to the Survey Director, District Collector, and Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) to conduct a map change survey, the Revenue Minister also said.

According to the new guidelines, villages with a population of over 250 and located at a distance of more than 500 meters from the main revenue village will be declared (and thus recognised) as revenue villages, Pujari said.

This move aims to streamline administrative processes and provide better governance to remote areas. And to ensure a smooth transition, special cells will be set up in each Tahasil to oversee the mapping process.

Importantly, these cells will ensure that old revenue village records do not get mixed up with the new ones.

After the new revenue villages will be redefined separate maps will be created for each of these new revenue villages. Also, the Khata number and plot number of the villagers will be updated.

The Minister clarified that and for this major work, the state government has lifted all restrictions, paving the way for the recognition and implementation of these new revenue villages within a specified time period.

Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari further said that in the past 34 years, only 1,000 villages were declared as revenue villages, and the previous Odisha governments were able to map only 300 of them. The current BJP government has now taken up the task of mapping the remaining 700 villages as well as the new ones, marking a significant step forward in governance.

Once the said 1635 new revenue villages get recognized and mapped, its’ villagers can expect improved administrative services and better governance. The government’s initiative is set to bring relief to thousands of villagers who will now have easier access to essential services, Pujari said.