58 COs TO FACE ACTION IN BIHAR

58 COs TO FACE ACTION IN BIHAR

24-JAN-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA---------------------------Departmental action will soon be taken against 50 Circle Officers in Bihar. Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Vijay Sinha has issued a notice in this regard and has also given strict orders.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister Vijay Sinha is continuously striving to bring reforms to the Revenue and Land Reforms Department in Bihar. Vijay Sinha is making every effort to address the shortcomings of the department. Recently, when the toll-free number of the revenue department was not working, Vijay Sinha visited the office and reprimanded the officials. In this series, another major action has been taken. According to the information, a notice has been issued to 58 Circle Officers (COs) in Bihar for negligence in land-related work concerning the general public.

On the instructions of Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, these officers have been asked for an explanation. The department has clarified that if a satisfactory reply is not received, departmental disciplinary action will be taken against the concerned CO as per rules. This may include the issuance of Form 'A', withholding of salary increments, and even a ban on promotions. Recently, the department conducted a state-level review of land-related work. During the review, the status of mutation defect check applications (land transfer) was found to be unsatisfactory.

According to the information, the disposal of land transfer cases is progressing at a very slow pace in many circles. A large number of applications are pending in the circle offices, while in many cases, applications have been rejected for illegal reasons. The departmental review also revealed that many Circle Officers did not dispose of land transfer cases within the stipulated time limit of 90 days, while the state-level average time is 44 days. Following this, such circles were identified and the concerned COs were asked for an explanation. Those who received the notice include the Circle Officers of Barsoi, Purnea East, Udakishunganj, Ara, Raniganj, Shahpur, Forbesganj, Goraul, and Didarganj. Several Circle Officers (COs) who were not completing the work of common people on time were also found absent from departmental review meetings. In a recent state-level meeting, 529 out of 537 Circle Officers were present, while eight were absent without prior notice. These included the COs of Rampur, Mokama, Maner, Dehri, Nauhatta, Rohtas, Benipatti, and Arwal. Similarly, the Additional Collectors of Rohtas, Gaya, and Shivhar, and the DCLRs of Banmankhi, Jaynagar, Mahnar, Bikramganj, Dehri on Sone, Rajauli, Manjhauli, and Bakhri also did not attend the meeting without prior intimation. The department has sought explanations from all these officers.

Under the government's Basera scheme, land is being provided to landless poor people for housing, but in several circles, eligible applications are being rejected by the COs on the grounds of being 'not fit for allotment'. In Patna City and Jagdishpur, 98 percent of applications were rejected on this basis. Explanations have also been sought from the Circle Officers of Patliputra, Patna Sadar, Fatuha, Bettiah, Katihar, Jagdishpur Sadar, and Raxaul. The department has decided to conduct an inquiry into the irregularities in these circles. Explanations have also been sought from the COs of Patna Sadar, Patna City, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Shahpur, Bodh Gaya, Bathani, Tankuppa, Nauhatta, Pothia, and Basantpur for negligence in the verification of government land.

Negligence on the part of Circle Officers has also come to light in cases of correction of errors in land records (Parimarjan). According to the rules, the correction work should be completed within a maximum of 75 days, but there is unnecessary delay in several circles. Explanations have been sought from the COs of Bodh Gaya, Aurangabad, Purnea East, Bagaha-II, Forbesganj, Sasaram, Raniganj, and Araria regarding this. Besides this, there is also a lack of efficiency in land measurement cases. The circle officers of Benipatti, Lakhanour, Madhepur, Garhani, Madanganj, Sikti, Barachatti, Sono, and Shamho Akaha Kurha have been accused of negligence, and the department has sought explanations from them as well.