Patna: In a major effort to resolve long-standing land disputes and update land records, the Bihar Revenue and Land Reforms Department is launching a “Revenue Maha Abhiyan” (Massive Revenue Campaign) from August 16 to September 20. The campaign aims to address common issues such as incorrect plot details, un-updated family divisions, and discrepancies in computerized records.
Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar Singh announced the initiative, stating that the campaign will help update approximately 4.5 crore online “Jamabandi” (land ownership records) which contain numerous errors. “Many of the old Jamabandi have incorrect Khata-Khasra details or only mention the total area of the land without plot-wise boundaries,” he said. The campaign will specifically target cases where land is still in the name of deceased ancestors, but their descendants are cultivating it without a written division.
Campaign Plan: Camps in Every Village
To ensure the campaign reaches every citizen, a dedicated team will be formed for each of Bihar’s 45,000 revenue villages. These teams will distribute printed copies of the existing Jamabandi to every household, with blank spaces provided for corrections.
Following the distribution, camps will be organized twice in each “Halka” (revenue circle) or Panchayat, with a gap of at least seven days between sessions. These camps will be held in Panchayat Bhawans or other government buildings. The teams, equipped with laptops and computers, will include Revenue Department staff, Amin of Special Survey, and Panchayat officials. Citizens can submit applications for corrections, which will be registered after an OTP is sent to their mobile number.
Simplified Process for Inherited Land
To simplify the process for inherited land, the department has authorized the village Sarpanch to certify the genealogy of the current owners. The department will accept this certification to officially mark the names of deceased ancestors as “dead” and process the transfer of land to their legal heirs. For ancestors who died long ago and for whom a death certificate is difficult to obtain, the verification of a local public representative will be considered sufficient, a circular for which will be issued soon.
“The benefit of this campaign will be that the Jamabandi papers will reach every person in every house. If people need any correction, they will be able to apply right in their panchayat and will not have to go far,” said Deepak Kumar Singh.
