Patna: The Bihar deputy chief minister and revenue and land reforms minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha, has issued a 15-day ultimatum to circle officers (COs), deputy collectors of land reforms (DCLRs), and departmental staff to resolve pending land and revenue cases, warning of swift disciplinary action against those found guilty of negligence or wrongdoing.
Addressing a jansamvad (public interaction) programme on Saturday, Sinha said officials must remember that they are “public servants, not masters”, and instructed senior authorities to initiate action within a week wherever lapses are proven. He cautioned that repeated warnings would not be issued, signalling a tougher administrative stance on delays and alleged manipulation of land records.
Sinha also sought explanations from several officials and ordered a review of the posting history of the circle officer in Didarganj. Referring to complaints from Sampatchak, he said strict legal action would be taken against those accused of submitting forged documents or engaging in fraudulent land transactions.
During the interaction, multiple citizens flagged prolonged delays in land mutation and record correction. A resident from Ballipur in Gaurichak told the minister that his mutation application had been pending for six months on the grounds of incomplete jamabandi. Questioning officials on the delay, Sinha said such cases reflected systemic apathy that would no longer be tolerated.
Officials presented several unresolved cases from across the state — including stalled mutations in Punpun, pending record corrections in Phulwarisharif, disputed land possession in Mokama, cancellation of mutations linked to digitisation issues in Didarganj, wrongful land registration in Sampatchak, and delays in land measurement in Bihta.
The deputy chief minister said those involved in preparing fraudulent records or facilitating illegal land transactions would not be spared. Following the public meeting, he held a high-level review with departmental officials and directed them to expedite the resolution of mutation, parimarjan plus, and land dispute cases within fixed timelines.
