Odisha govt issues stern warning to land encroachers: Vacate or pay eviction costs
Reviewing departmental operations, the minister said the state would no longer tolerate unauthorised occupation of public land.
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has toughened its stand on illegal land occupation, with revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday warning encroachers—particularly influential individuals and groups—to voluntarily vacate government land or face stringent action, including recovery of eviction expenses.
Reviewing departmental operations, the minister said the state would no longer tolerate unauthorised occupation of public land.
“There is still time for encroachers to return the land. If they do not, they will be evicted, and the full cost of eviction will be recovered from them,” he said, directing district officials to initiate immediate corrective steps.
To strengthen enforcement, all Tehsildars have been instructed to compile a statewide database of encroached land across the 320 tehsils. The database will map industrial plots, revenue land, government-owned areas and all sites under illegal possession, giving the government a comprehensive view of land usage for improved planning and administration.
In a humanitarian provision, the government clarified that the crackdown will not apply uniformly. Landless poor who are occupying small patches out of necessity may be allotted up to 4 decimals of land, the minister said. However, this relief will not extend to influential encroachers who have taken over government land for profit or personal advantage.
Reiterating the government's zero-tolerance approach, Pujari said any attempt to obstruct enforcement or hinder land regulation measures would lead to immediate action.
“Maintaining the integrity of government land is essential for balanced development. Violators will face strict consequences,” he added.