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Special land survey in Bihar to be completed by Dec 2023
PATNA The ongoing special survey for updating land records being carried out in a phased manner across Bihar will be completed by December 2023, state’s revenue and land reforms department informed chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday
PATNA
The ongoing special survey for updating land records being carried out in a phased manner across Bihar will be completed by December 2023, state’s revenue and land reforms department informed chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday.
The comprehensive survey is being conducted after an aerial survey to reduce land dispute cases, update records of transfers of ownership and better upkeep of land records.
The CM was chairing a review meeting on initiatives being taken by the revenue and land reforms department, which was attended by revenue and land reforms department minister Ram Surat Kumar, chief secretary Tripurari Sharan, additional chief secretary (revenue and land reforms) Vivek Kumar Singh and other officials.
As per an official press release, the ACS (revenue and land reforms department) briefed the CM on the status of the special survey underway in different parts of the state. The special survey work under phase-1 started in September 2020 at 5228 villages, 207 camps spread over 89 circles in 20 districts while under phase-2, work started in July 2021 at 4,668 villages, 197 camps in 90 circles spread over 20 districts.
“Under phase -3, survey will start in around 10,000 villages in 114 circles covering 18 districts,” the ACS said during his presentation.
In Bihar, the last cadastral survey, a process to ascertain land boundaries of through manual survey, was held 1911, during the British rule. In the last one century, a few revisional surveys have been held.
During thr review meeting, the chief minister recounted how maximum number of complaints received during his early days of “Janata ke durbar mein Mukhyamantri” in 2006 after coming to power were related to land dispute cases, which prompted his government to make new legislation and also carry out the special survey. He said 60% of the crime incidents are related to land disputes.
Consolidation of land holdings
The revenue and land reforms department has started giving a push to the land consolidation exercise, a process where land holdings of a person scattered in different places could be readjusted to make a consolidated land holding for the land owner.
This can be done when there is consensus among residents of any village with other villages to opt for exchange of land parcels to make it one consolidated land tract by mutual agreement and valuation of land.
Revenue and land reforms minister Ram Surat Kumar said a software was being developed through the help of IIT-Roorkee, which would help in accurate measurement of the land to be exchanged among different parties and their valuation as per circle rate. The minister said the use of the software would minimise the role of amins (officials who assist in survey work) and also weed out manipulation in identifying the land and its plot size to be readjusted.
The practice of land consolidation was prevalent in 1970s in Bihar, with a large number of villagers opting for exchange of their small land parcels to make a big land holding in the vicinity of their villages. Land consolidation also helps increase agricultural yield of crops and income of farmers. “We are keen on popularising land consolidation process as it is good for farming. We will give it momentum once the survey work gets completed in phases as updation of land records is required. The work is going on,” the minister said.
