Bhubaneswar: Revenue minister Maheswar Mohanty on Tuesday said an explosive situation would be created in the state if it implemented a law giving legal rights to the sharecroppers at this juncture.

He said this while presenting the activities of his department. Chief minister Naveen Panaik on Tuesday reviewed the department's activities. Mohanty also said the President had returned the state government's proposed Odisha Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill, which is now under the active consideration of law department.

"We are examining the bill. Once it gets the nod of the department, we will take necessary steps on the issue," said Mohanty.

On the issue of giving rights to the sharecroppers, Mohanty said: "This is a sensitive matter. We have to safeguard interests of both the sharecroppers and the land owners. If we take any steps in a hurry, it will create an explosive situation."

Around 55 lakh families in the state are farmers, and of them, 80 per cent are sharecroppers.

The produce is distributed between sharecroppers and the land owners. The government is planning to empower the sharecroppers without disturbing the existing land ownership pattern.

An official said: "A big exercise is needed to identify the real sharecroppers as no land owners will give in writing who they have engaged in their land."

The new act will be called Odisha Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2017.

There will be execution of lease agreement between the sharecroppers and the land owners.