Patna: The Bihar government has announced a crackdown on land brokers and unauthorised clerks operating within revenue offices, ordering the installation of CCTV cameras and warning that criminal cases will be filed against those identified.
In directives issued to district authorities, CK Anil, principal secretary of the revenue department, said any broker or “assistant clerk” found during field visits would face immediate prosecution under criminal provisions. The move forms part of a broader effort to dismantle what officials describe as a deeply entrenched middleman culture in land-related administration.
The instructions, sent to all district magistrates, follow complaints raised during the chief minister’s “Samriddhi Yatra” and dialogue programmes led by the deputy chief minister. According to the government, these interactions revealed that in several urban areas local officials had illegally engaged private intermediaries to assist with land records and other revenue matters.
Senior officials said the state intended to sever alleged links between elements of the land mafia and sections of the administration. The revenue department has allocated funds to install high-end CCTV cameras in all zonal offices across Bihar, aiming to ensure greater transparency and prevent unauthorised access to government workspaces.
Footage from the cameras will be monitored to deter the presence of brokers and outsiders inside offices. Where allegations surface against an employee or officer, a three-member investigation team will be constituted at the district level to examine the case.
Deputy chief minister Vijay Sinha said that once land mafia members or brokers are identified, first information reports would be registered under the strictest applicable sections of the Indian Penal Code. He described the alleged nexus as one that “hurts decency and humanity” and pledged to break it.
The government has also urged citizens to approach revenue offices directly through official counters or online portals rather than relying on intermediaries, saying tighter monitoring at district level would help ensure cleaner and more accountable administration.
