BHUBANESWAR, Sept. 30 -- Hundreds of acres of agricultural and government land in Odisha were illegally converted, diverted, or encroached upon for commercial, residential, and educational purposes because revenue officials failed to enforce statutory safeguards, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said.

The report said nearly 504 acres of agricultural land in 24 tehsils were converted for non-agricultural use without complying with the procedures laid down in the Orissa Land Reforms (OLR) Act. Of this, about 250 acres were used for commercial projects, 132.8 acres for residential developments, and 53.6 acres for educational institutions.

The compliance report of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department for 2023-...