The saga surrounding the closure of Orient Paper Mills in Brajrajnagar took a decisive turn as the Odisha Government has issued a directive for the cancellation of the mill's land lease. After years of inaction since its closure in 1999, the Revenue Department has initiated a process for reclaiming 156.04 acres of Government land and 614.96 acres of Zamindari land from the company.

The decision came after the mill management, a part of the Birla Group, shut operations without Government approval, leaving many workers' families in the lurch. The lease, spanning 843.102 acres, remained largely unused, with only a fraction allocated for worker colonies, roads, and buildings. Despite promises to repurpose the land for projects like a cement plant or thermal power plant, no substantial progress occurred.

The Government's action aligns with Section 3 of the OGLS Act, aiming to reclaim the land and bring it back under Government control. However, a portion, 122.12 acres, acquired under the freehold purchase policy, remains outside the scope of cancellation.

The Tehsildar initiated the lease cancellation process, issuing notices to the Orient Paper Mills for failing to utilise the land's intended purpose for over two decades, violating lease agreements. Despite earlier Government approvals for alternative projects, including a Chloro Alkali complex promising job opportunities, no tangible progress took place, prompting repeated demands from late MLA Kishore Mohanty to cancel the lease in Assembly sessions.