Deputy CM sets two-year target to complete land survey

Patna: The revenue and land reforms department has set a two-year deadline for the officials to complete the special land survey in Bihar, said deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha after a review meeting held on Wednesday.

Sinha, who is also the department’s minister, said the special land survey will be completed within the next two years, and any negligence, delay, or false reporting at any level will not be tolerated. He asked all districts to provide detailed progress reports of the work at every level immediately.


Department’s principal secretary C K Anil and secretary Jai Singh explained the background of the old cadastral and revisional surveys and highlighted the benefits of the new survey. Director of land records and survey, Suharsh Bhagat, said the initial phase was affected by the delay in the technical guidelines, but the survey work has now gained momentum.

The state govt launched the survey work in 2024 and fixed July 2026 deadline to complete it. Later, the govt extended the completion date to Dec 30, 2026 as people in many areas did not participate in it, citing corruption at block level and lack of land records even in the govt offices. Provisions like submitting family ‘vanshawali’ (pedigree), including the names of girls, also discouraged the landowners from declaring it. That created confusion and family disputes in many cases as paternal properties are generally distributed among the male members of a family, ignoring the property rights of the women members.

The deputy CM, however, said the survey is not merely a formality, but the basis for resolving land disputes and improving the system. In case of errors or unnecessary delays, the officers concerned will be held directly accountable, and administrative and legal action will be taken against him/her, if necessary.

He appealed to the public that if they encounter any irregularities or problems during the survey, they should file a written complaint with the department. He assured them that every complaint would be heard and acted upon promptly.

Land survey has long been on the agenda of the Nitish Kumar govt, as land disputes had emerged as one of the biggest challenges to law and order in the state. The state govt is conducting the survey to update land records as the last land survey in the state was conducted in 1911 during British rule.