Sudam Babu | State Bureau Chief Odisha

Bhubaneswar, September 25, 2026: Odisha Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan chaired a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar to review measures aimed at speeding up the settlement of land belonging to Lord Jagannath and improving the digital system proposed for processing such cases.

The meeting was held at the Law Department Conference Hall at Lok Seva Bhawan, where officials discussed the ongoing process of providing land rights to servitors and non-servitors who have been living on Lord Jagannath’s land for an extended period.

E-Portal to Simplify Land Settlement Process

A major focus of the meeting was the proposed development of a dedicated e-portal for the land settlement process. The digital platform is intended to make the procedure more organised, transparent and convenient for applicants.

Under the proposed system, both servitors and non-servitors occupying the concerned land would be able to submit their relevant details through the portal. The online mechanism is expected to reduce procedural difficulties and provide officials with a structured source of information for processing cases.

The portal would also support the creation of a comprehensive database containing information about people occupying the concerned Lord Jagannath land. Such a database is expected to help authorities maintain records and manage the settlement process in a more systematic manner.

Minister Reviews Portal Development

During the meeting, Minister Harichandan examined the proposed digital system and offered suggestions regarding its design and functionality.

Particular emphasis was placed on making the portal accessible, user-friendly and transparent, while also ensuring that the land settlement process can move forward more efficiently.

Officials discussed ways in which technology could be used to improve the collection and management of information related to occupants and facilitate the implementation of the settlement process.

Senior Officials Participate

Several senior officials attended the review meeting, including Dr. Aravind Kumar Padhee, Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple and Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department; Vishal Dev, Additional Chief Secretary of the Electronics and Information Technology Department; Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samal, Principal Secretary of the Law Department; and Shivaprasad Mahapatra, Additional Secretary of the Law Department.

Puri Collector Dibyajyoti Parida joined the meeting virtually.

Senior officials from OCAC and ONIC also participated in the discussions concerning the development and practical implementation of the proposed e-portal.

The review is part of efforts to bring greater structure to the process of settling Lord Jagannath’s land while using digital technology to improve accessibility, record management and administrative efficiency.