Odisha Govt orders urgent transfers of revenue staff to curb irregularities

Bhubaneswar, Sept 19: The Odisha Government has issued a strict directive to all District Collectors, instructing them to initiate the immediate transfer of ministerial and field staff in the Revenue Administration who have been serving in the same office for more than three years.

The circular, released by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, follows numerous public complaints regarding irregularities, corruption, nepotism, and negligence in various government offices. The government has expressed concern that long postings in a single office often encourage vested interests and weaken the integrity of administration.

The directive applies to a wide range of officials, including ministerial staff such as Section Officers (SO), Senior Revenue Assistants (SRA), Junior Revenue Assistants (JRA), and field-level functionaries like Revenue Supervisors (RS), Revenue Inspectors (RI), Assistant Revenue Inspectors (ARI), and Amins.

The department has clarified that transfers must cover all levels—Collectorates, Sub-Collector offices, Blocks, and Tahasils. Collectors have been asked to treat the order as “most urgent” and submit compliance reports within 15 days.

Officials stated that the decision is part of a broader policy to promote efficiency, accountability, and transparency in governance. By enforcing rotational postings, the state aims to dismantle entrenched networks, reduce malpractice, and strengthen citizen trust in the revenue administration system.