Govt to review powers of registration officers to classify land

The Bihar government on Tuesday assured the state assembly of a review of discretionary powers of registration officers to classify various types of land during registration of property in districts after ruling party members alleged that such sweeping powers were encouraging corruption.

The Bihar government on Tuesday assured the state assembly of a review of discretionary powers of registration officers to classify various types of land during registration of property in districts after ruling party members alleged that such sweeping powers were encouraging corruption.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (PTI)

“We will review the existing powers of registration officers and mechanism in place for classification of land in different categories after spot verification. We will inform the House about it,” prohibition, excise and registration minister Sunil Kumar said in the assembly in reply to a question by Vijay Kumar Khemka of the BJP, a key constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Members across the aisle alleged that discretionary powers given to registration officers to classify land in various categories like agriculture, commercial and residential were giving rise to corrupt practices and that an alternative mechanism should be evolved.

Officials in registration department said powers to district registration officer to classify land or property after spot verification was given in 2005 .

“In Purnia, there have been anomalies in classification of land,” Khemka said.

Intervening during the minister’s reply, Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha said it was not a good practice.

The minister then said there was a committee in place at the district level for determining the value of land and is headed by district magistrate and other officers.

The members, however, were not convinced with the reply, prompting the minister to assure that a review of the whole matter would be done.

Night guards in schools

Education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday informed the assembly that government would soon make regular appointments of ratri praharis (night guards) in government high schools and middle schools and said the government would review the matter pertaining to payment of wages to night guards working on a fixed pay at middle schools from government funds.

“The guards appointed as ratri praharis in middle schools on fixed pay are usually paid from funds of management committee of the schools. The government does not give any grants for it,” the minister said, replying to queries of MLAs whether the remuneration of guards could be hiked or not.