Patna: Newly appointed ministers in the Bihar government have begun assuming charge of their portfolios, with senior BJP leader Dilip Jaiswal returning to head the Revenue and Land Reforms department and pledging to restore administrative momentum after what he described as a three-month disruption.
Kedar Gupta also formally took charge of his department on Friday, a day after members of the new state cabinet were sworn in. The appointments mark the beginning of administrative transitions under the new council of ministers in Bihar.
Speaking to reporters after assuming office, Jaiswal said work in the revenue department had been “stalled for around three months” but was now “getting back on track”. He pointed to his previous tenure in the same department, noting that around 11,000 appointments had been made and long-pending land surveys were initiated during that period.
He described the Revenue and Land Reforms department as one of the most challenging in the state, saying it has historically been seen as difficult due to its direct interface with the public and longstanding bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Jaiswal also referred to a recent strike involving departmental officials and employees, which he said had contributed to delays in routine work and public services. The strike, which lasted for several weeks, was called off on Thursday, coinciding with the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet.
“A large part of the department’s work remained pending, but efforts are now being made to restore normal functioning,” he said, adding that there were still “serious shortcomings at the grassroots level” which his office would address through stricter monitoring and attempts to improve transparency.
Reiterating a tough stance on corruption and inefficiency, Jaiswal said he had issued similar warnings during his earlier tenure and would continue to take action against wrongdoing. He added that his priority would be to ensure citizens do not face inconvenience in accessing land and revenue-related services.
Before the reshuffle, the Revenue and Land Reforms portfolio was handled by Vijay Kumar Sinha. The department had been affected by administrative disruptions during the recent strike period, which officials say had slowed down several key services across the state.
