Patna: The Bihar government, led by Samrat Chaudhary, has revoked the suspension of 224 revenue employees, overturning a decision taken earlier under former deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha. The employees had remained suspended for nearly two and a half months after a statewide strike that disrupted work across multiple districts.
An official communication issued by the revenue and land reforms department has directed district magistrates across Bihar to reinstate employees suspended between February 11 and April 19. The move follows discussions between government officials and employee union representatives, suggesting a shift towards resolving the dispute through dialogue rather than punitive action.
The government has also revised its earlier decision on how to treat the strike period. Instead of marking it as extraordinary leave, it will now be counted as earned leave. Employees with insufficient leave balance will be granted advance earned leave. Authorities have instructed officials who have returned to duty to resume work under these updated provisions.
Earlier, the crackdown had also seen 47 circle officers suspended on charges including negligence in administrative duties, failure to meet revenue targets and non-compliance with official instructions. Concerns were also raised about delays in tasks such as encroachment removal and other key administrative responsibilities. While the broader suspension has been revoked, departmental proceedings against some officials are likely to continue.
The strike had severely affected the functioning of the revenue department, with around 1,100 officers and 3,500 employees participating. Work across more than 500 administrative circles was impacted, leading to a growing backlog of land-related applications and unresolved cases. With employees now being reinstated, the government is expected to focus on clearing pending work and restoring normal operations.
