It is said in our ancient chronicles that the office of Lourung-Purel was first established during the reign of Meidingu Loyumba in 11th century and measurement of arable land was first started. The Lourungpurel is the officer in-charge of revenue and granaries, while the Lourungba is the Revenue Officer and Lourungba Macha is his assistant. The Lourungba maintains the land records, settles disputes between individuals and villages, and decides the amount of revenue to be collected.

Imagine the power of these Revenue officials in those times. There is a saying that one should not pick a quarrel with the Lorungba and one does so at their own peril.

These Lourungbas or present day Amins are still powerful. A popular story doing the rounds is that when an Amin and his superior officer Sub-Deputy Collector (SDC) visited a village, the villagers proffered a chair for the Amin while the SDC was left standing. Even today, among the old-timers the Revenue Department is still referred to as Lourung-Shang. While all field activities of the Revenue department are headed by these Supervisor Kanungos (Amin), they are the ones who are conducting land surveys, land measurement besides entry of new pattadars in land records and also maintenance of the land records. The word of the Supervisor Kanungo (SK) is final in determining individual ownership of a land or the actual status of the land in question as to whether it is a homestead land or agricultural land, and these officials are not to be trifled with. It is said, better be friends with the SK than antagonising them for they can bend the land records at their will.

In Revenue circles, it is said that most of the land disputes are caused by corrupt SKs. Even today, they are so powerful that it is very difficult to transfer or take action against them when they are at fault or suspected of tampering with land records.