Land Survey in Bihar to Proceed as Scheduled, No Disruption Despite Rumors: Revenue Secretary

Patna: The ongoing land survey in Bihar will continue as planned, despite rumours suggesting otherwise, said Jai Kumar Singh, Secretary of Revenue and Land Reforms. In a statement on Friday, he clarified that certain groups are spreading false information, creating unnecessary panic among the public. He emphasized that the land survey work would proceed without delay and urged people not to fall for these baseless rumors.

The Secretary also issued show cause notices to the settlement officers of Gopalganj and East Champaran, citing negligence in their duties.

During a video conference with settlement officers, Singh reviewed the land survey progress in 43,041 villages across the state. While the survey has been officially announced in all these villages, data from 42,561 villages have been uploaded on the Directorate of Land Records and Survey’s website. The Secretary directed officers to upload the remaining 480 mauzas (land administrative units) within the next week to ensure transparency and accountability.

Out of the 43,041 villages, the work of writing Khatian (land records) has commenced in 20,526 villages. So far, the gist of Khatian, known as Teriz, has been completed in 8,737 mauzas. Singh instructed officials to further expedite this crucial process.

Moreover, in 44 districts, 36 lakh individuals have already submitted self-declarations regarding their land holdings—25 lakh through offline camps and 11 lakh online. This information will be integrated into the ongoing land survey.

Singh urged landowners to submit their land details online through the Self-Declaration Survey Directorate’s website (dlrs.bihar.gov.in). He reassured that attaching only available documents with Form-2 is sufficient for the process. Landowners can also create their own genealogy documents to avoid any complications in Khatian preparation.

Director of Land Records and Measurement, J. Priyadarshini, highlighted the importance of technical proficiency among settlement officers, as the entire land survey process is digital. The progress of the survey is tracked online, making technical know-how essential for effective monitoring.

The Bihar Survey Tracker App, available for public use, allows any landowner (raiyat) to track survey activities in their village via mobile. Settlement officers were also instructed to use the app to monitor and evaluate the work of their staff, ensuring a seamless and transparent survey process.