REVENUE EMPLOYEES ASSIGNED ADDITIONAL CHARGES

REVENUE EMPLOYEES ASSIGNED ADDITIONAL CHARGES

28-MARCH-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-------------------------The State Government has taken decisive and stern action against officers of the Bihar Revenue Service who had gone on mass leave. Vijay Kumar Sinha, Minister of Revenue and Land Reforms, stated that no leniency will be shown towards those who obstruct work in the public interest. No one is permitted to halt public services. Disrupting revenue services under the guise of a strike is completely unacceptable. Work will resume in every *Anchal* (revenue circle) starting April 1st. Officers who are currently on duty will be immediately assigned additional charges to fill the vacancies left by those who are absent.

A letter issued by C.K. Anil, Principal Secretary of the Department of Revenue and Land Reforms, states that no *Anchal* will be allowed to remain vacant henceforth. Officers who are not participating in the strike will be assigned additional charges of other vacant *Anchals* alongside their primary posts. These officers include *Anchal Adhikaris* (Circle Officers), Assistant Settlement Officers, Revenue Officers, and *Kanungos*. All District Magistrates have been directed to ensure the availability of an officer in every *Anchal* under all circumstances.

The Department has further clarified that the additional charge of *Anchals* previously assigned to Block Development Officers (BDOs) is no longer deemed sufficient, as they already shoulder numerous responsibilities. Consequently, this responsibility will now be entrusted directly to officers currently serving within the Revenue Service itself, ensuring that essential tasks—such as mutation (*Dakhil-Kharij*), land record rectification (*Parimarjan*), land measurement (*Mapi*), encroachment removal, and the issuance of certificates—proceed without interruption.

Officers who return from the strike are to be assigned charges of the *Sadar Anchal* (headquarters circle) and other circles located within the Sub-divisional headquarters. Officers assigned additional charges will be vested with full financial powers to ensure that there are no impediments regarding salary disbursements, implementation of schemes, or other operational expenditures. Furthermore, directives have been issued to maintain a balanced distribution of workload across the districts and to assign additional responsibilities primarily within adjacent or nearby *Anchals*.

Work will resume in every *Anchal* starting April 1st. Officers currently on duty will be immediately assigned additional charges to fill the vacancies left by those who are absent. Government operations will not come to a halt. : Deputy

ChCircle Officers (COs) and employees of the Revenue Department have been on an indefinite strike since March 9. The Bihar Revenue Service Association (BIRSA) is staging protests over a 17-point charter of demands. In addition to opposing the newly created post of 'Sub-Divisional Revenue Officer' (SDRO), they are demanding improvements in their workload conditions. Due to the strike, operations such as land mutation (transfer of title), land measurement, and the issuance of certificates are being disrupted across all 537 revenue circles in the state. On the other hand, the Minister of the Department—who also serves as the Deputy Chief Minister—Vijay Kumar Sinha, has declared the strike illegal.