Revenue and Land Reforms Department in Bihar Aims for Transparency and Accountability
Patna: The Revenue and Land Reforms Department in Bihar is working to make its system more transparent and accountable, ensuring that common people, farmers, and landowners receive services without visiting revenue offices. A time limit has been set for delivering all facilities to the public.
As part of the Bihar Special Land Survey, 9,888 personnel, including Special Survey Amins, Kanungos, Assistant Settlement Officers, and Clerks, were appointed in July 2024, increasing the workforce to around 14,000. To simplify land surveys, a Kaithi script textbook was released in December 2024 and is available for free download on the department’s website.
Efforts to digitize old revenue documents are underway, with the department inviting expressions of interest to develop an AI tool for converting old records into Hindi. Scanning and digitization of revenue records have led to the publication of 15 crore records online, preserving important documents and ensuring long-term accessibility.
The Revenue Court Management System (RCMS) has been fully digitized, and a doorstep delivery service for revenue maps has been implemented, with over 28,000 orders fulfilled and Rs. 1.32 crore earned through the service. An SMS alert service is also available, providing updates on land transfers, mutations, and other changes.
Under the Abhiyan Basera-2 program, 30,722 landless families have been allotted housing land out of a surveyed 1,20,722 families. Online mutation processes have also been streamlined, with a fixed execution timeline and provisions for appeals and revisions.
The Parimarjan Plus Portal, launched for rectifying errors in Jamabandi registers, has handled over 10 lakh applications, with about 4 lakh cases resolved. The e-Measurement Portal, operational since December 2023, allows for online applications and digitally signed measurement reports, with 57,830 applicants paying fees and over 35,000 reports issued.
Land revenue payments have been made fully online, with 85 lakh receipts issued in 2024, collecting over Rs. 274 crore. Government land transfers for public utility projects totaled 2,271 acres over two financial years, benefiting projects like Metro Rail, highways, and industrial corridors.
Land acquisition for critical projects includes 167 acres for bypasses in Saran, 550 acres for embankments in Lakhisarai, and 400 acres for new railway lines.
To eliminate corruption, 458 revenue officers have faced action, with punishments for 349 and warnings for 109.
The land survey remains a government priority, with work nearing completion in 20 districts and ongoing in 18 others. These efforts aim to resolve land disputes and update all land-related documents across Bihar.
