Bihar Government Extends Self-Declaration Deadline for Land Survey to November 30

Patna: The Bihar government has announced an extension for the submission of land self-declarations, allowing residents an additional 55 days to submit their documents. The deadline, originally set for early October, has been extended to November 30, 2024. This extension is particularly beneficial for those living outside the state, providing them time to complete the process during the festive season of Diwali and Chhath.

Diwali is on October 31, and Chhath Mahaparva falls on November 7-8, prompting the Revenue and Land Reforms Department to extend the date to accommodate those returning to Bihar during this period. The government had initiated a comprehensive land survey in 43,041 villages on August 20, requiring landowners to submit self-declarations about their landholdings within 45 days. However, the new 100-day timeline will give farmers and residents more time to comply with the requirements.

Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Dr. Dilip Jaiswal confirmed the extension, stating, “The deadline for submitting self-declarations has been pushed by three months to assist the public in completing their documentation. Our department staff will provide full support, and any complaints will be addressed swiftly.”

The minister also warned against misinformation being spread by land mafias regarding the survey. In response, a toll-free helpline (18003456215) has been set up for farmers to report issues and seek assistance.

Since the land survey began, record offices across Bihar, including in Patna, have seen a surge in applications for land documents. The daily average of applications, typically between 100-120, has now increased to over 600.

However, the offices are struggling to meet this demand due to limited resources and personnel, with over 5,000 applications currently pending. Of the applications received, around 20% are being rejected due to damaged or missing documents, further contributing to the backlog.

In response to the rising demand, the state government has initiated the recruitment of 409 clerks to support the record offices and expedite the processing of documents. The extension of the self-declaration deadline aims to alleviate some of the pressure on landowners and officials alike.

Additionally, the process of digitizing land records is ongoing. While 2,34,62,435 documents from 1995 onwards have been digitized and are accessible online, efforts to digitize over 5,13,48,914 older documents, dating back to 1796, are still underway. Many of these historical documents are fragile and deteriorated due to age, complicating the digitization process.

With the land survey in full swing, there has also been a threefold increase in the demand for land maps. The map office in Gulzarbagh has seen its daily revenue from map sales surge from ₹60,000 to nearly ₹2 lakh. An estimated 500 people are visiting the office daily to obtain maps, while about 100 applications are being submitted online. To meet this demand, two new map-printing machines have been installed.

Landowners are required to submit photocopies of original documents along with Form 2 for the land survey. These documents must include key details such as land account numbers, khesra (plot number), area, type, cess, rent, jamabandi (record of rights) numbers, and proof of ownership. This information helps authorities verify the land’s status, whether it is ancestral or has been purchased.

The ongoing survey is part of Bihar’s long history of land documentation, dating back to the first survey initiated by British Viceroy Lord Dufferin in 1885. This comprehensive survey, which covered Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, took 40 years to complete, concluding in 1925. After India’s independence, another major land survey was launched in 1959 under Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Shri Krishna Sinha.

As the current land survey progresses, the extended deadline provides landowners with crucial time to complete the required documentation without rushing back to the state.