Patna : The illegal sale of land belonging to temples and monasteries has come under renewed scrutiny in Bihar, as government records remain missing from 18 districts despite repeated directives to digitise them.
The Law Department has issued urgent instructions to district magistrates to halt further sales and upload all data related to religious trust properties within three weeks. The move follows a high-level review led by the Chief Secretary, which revealed that property records from districts including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Jehanabad and Darbhanga have yet to be submitted.
The lack of records has made it difficult to protect these sites, with officials citing issues of encroachment and fake transactions. In some areas, land surveys have been obstructed, and calls are growing for boundary walls to safeguard such heritage assets.
In a recent case in Siwaipatti, plans to construct a panchayat building on land belonging to the Religious Trust Council were met with resistance from the temple’s sevayat (caretaker), who demanded an immediate halt to the project.
According to officials, the illegal sale of temple land is being facilitated by a nexus between land mafias and certain government employees. In Muzaffarpur alone, 89 properties have been identified as belonging to religious institutions, yet none have been listed on the government’s online portal.
Repeated directives from the Law Department have reportedly been ignored by local administrations. The Deputy Secretary has now warned of disciplinary action against negligent officials and ordered detailed reports on the matter.
The issue has sparked debate in both the Legislative Assembly and Council, with lawmakers questioning the administration’s commitment to protecting religious and historical land.
