Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Board of Revenue has cancelled private revenue records related to nearly five acres of land on the Kuakhai riverbed, ending a dispute that has lasted over four decades. The land, estimated to be worth more than Rs 100 crore, has been directed to be recorded in the name of the general administration department.The order was passed recently by a member of the Board of Revenue while hearing a revision case filed by the state govt. After examining historical revenue records, settlement documents, sale deeds, maps and field inspection reports, the board concluded that the disputed land was originally classified as river land (‘nadi’) and had vested in the state following the abolition of the zamindari system.The board observed that the private claim, based on a 1944 lease deed and subsequent sale transactions, lacked any valid govt approval proving continuation of private ownership after the land vested with the state. It also reiterated that entries in revenue records, mutations or registration of sale deeds do not, by themselves, confer ownership rights.A field inspection by the Bhubaneswar tehsildar found that the land remains affected by the Kuakhai river, reinforcing its classification as riverbed land. Consequently, the board ordered cancellation of the private revenue entries and directed authorities to record the land in the name of the general administration department.