Revenue administration is one of the most critical pillars of governance. Every land transaction, mutation, encroachment inquiry, disaster assessment, compensation case and public grievance depends on the efficiency of Revenue Field Staff.
Yet Odisha’s revenue administration is operating under an alarming manpower crisis.
Out of 9,910 sanctioned field-level posts, only about 5,344 are currently occupied. This means that almost half of the sanctioned workforce is unavailable. Consequently, existing Revenue Inspectors and Assistant Revenue Inspectors are compelled to manage multiple villages, larger jurisdictions and an ever-growing list of responsibilities.
The consequences are visible everywhere:
• Delays in disposal of cases.
• Increased public dissatisfaction.
• Excessive work pressure on field officers.
• Reduced quality of service delivery.
• Mental and physical stress among employees.
At the same time, new initiatives such as C2C programmes, online service delivery, BMV works, farmer registration, welfare scheme verification and other assignments continue to be added without corresponding increases in manpower.
Many field offices function without Group-D support staff. Officers often perform clerical work, serve notices, maintain records and even manage basic office operations themselves.
The issue is not merely an employee grievance; it is a governance challenge.
Without immediate recruitment, cadre restructuring and rationalisation of workloads, the effectiveness of revenue administration will continue to suffer.
The demand for filling vacancies is therefore not just an employee demand—it is a public necessity. Strengthening revenue administration ultimately benefits every citizen who depends on timely and efficient public services.
Mission Swabhiman seeks to bring this reality before policymakers and the public alike.