Revenue Minister Calls for Integrity and Efficiency in Land Administration

In a significant move to address corruption and inefficiency in land administration, Revenue and Land Reforms Department Minister Dr. Dilip Kumar Jaiswal has called for a concerted effort to improve the department's reputation and service delivery. Speaking at a monthly meeting of Additional District Magistrates held at the Survey Training Institute in Shastri Nagar, Patna, Dr. Jaiswal emphasized the need for honesty, integrity, and proactive measures to combat corruption at the zonal level.

The minister highlighted the prevalence of complaints regarding corruption among zonal-level employees and the collusion between revenue employees, lower-level clerks, and land mafias. He challenged the assembled officers to take immediate action, suggesting a goal of reducing corruption by 10% within the month.

Dr. Jaiswal also addressed issues of non-compliance with orders by lower revenue offices and violations of the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle. He urged Additional District Magistrates to conduct regular and intensive investigations of lower offices and take action against non-compliant officials.

The meeting included a review of various revenue issues, including encroachment, Abhiyan Basera, Seraat settlement, and protection of government land. Banka district was praised for its efforts in removing encroachments, while Madhubani district was advised to improve its performance.

Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar Singh announced that monthly meetings of Additional District Magistrates would continue, with a ranking system being implemented to assess their performance. He also emphasized the need to address the high volume of mutation-related complaints and improve work culture in the department.

The gathering was attended by senior officials from the department and Additional District Magistrates from all 38 districts of Bihar, marking a significant step towards reforming land administration in the state.