The Odisha government has terminated probationary Odisha Revenue Service officer Manisha Mishra days after vigilance officials allegedly caught her accepting a Rs 7,000 bribe linked to a land registration in Baliapal, Balasore district.
Mishra, a 2022-batch ORS officer serving as sub-registrar at Baliapal, was allegedly arrested on November 6 while accepting the money from a complainant to facilitate the registration. She is currently in judicial custody, according to the report.
Revenue minister Suresh Pujari said the action reflected the government’s “zero-tolerance” policy towards corruption in public offices. “Corruption has cost this young ORS probationer her job,” Pujari said.
Revenue additional chief secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee said Mishra had joined government service as a trainee reserve officer in December 2024 and was posted as Baliapal sub-registrar in December 2025. Since she was still undergoing the mandatory two-year probation period, the department initiated immediate action after her arrest, Padhee said.
The termination order described the allegations as “gross misconduct” and a serious violation of the Odisha government servants’ conduct rules, 1959. The government also said the allegations could erode public trust in the administration and that Mishra’s continuation in service would be against public interest.
The case places scrutiny on the role of sub-registrar offices, which are responsible for processing property and land-registration transactions. These offices form a critical administrative link for citizens seeking to record property transfers, but the process can become vulnerable to delays, discretionary decisions and demands for unofficial payments. In the present case, the government’s action followed an allegation involving a relatively small payment but a service with significant consequences for a complainant’s property rights.
Padhee’s action also followed an open letter to revenue department colleagues urging them to maintain integrity and avoid corrupt practices. In the letter, he said he would uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability and protect colleagues who performed their duties honestly from undue pressure, harassment or injustice.
Padhee further said financial gains could be temporary, while personal integrity and self-respect were invaluable. The department’s decision to terminate Mishra during probation indicates that the government relied on the probation framework to take swift administrative action after the vigilance arrest, while the criminal case proceeds separately.
The termination has also triggered debate on social media, with users questioning the recent reinstatement of suspended IAS officer Dhiman Chakma. Chakma, a 2021-batch officer, was arrested in June 2025 for allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a businessman while serving as sub-collector in Dharamgarh, Kalahandi. The supplied report does not provide details of the reinstatement decision or the proceedings in that case.
Mishra’s criminal proceedings will continue independently of the government’s service action. The immediate administrative step is the termination order issued during her probation, while she remains in judicial custody in connection with the vigilance case.
