Govt takes step to resolve claims over Bettiah Raj land in UP

Patna: Deputy CM-cum-revenue and land reforms minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Friday said a transparent and structured process has begun for disposing claims over 175.55 acres of land belonging to the erstwhile Bettiah Raj estate, located across eight places in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.The exercise is being carried out under the newly framed “Rules for Disposal of Property of Bettiah Raj, 2026”. “The objective is to ensure transparent and effective management of Bettiah Raj properties, especially those in UP. It will help resolve pending disputes and enable clear utilisation of the land,” Sinha said.He added that the rules specifically address properties located outside Bihar and lay down a defined administrative mechanism for orderly, rule-based disposal of claims.The land parcels include 26.56 acres in Prayagraj, 6.21 acres in Basti, 1.86 acres in Ayodhya, 50.92 acres in Gorakhpur, 69.59 acres in Kushinagar, 7.53 acres in Maharajganj, 0.91 acres in Mirzapur and 11.95 acres in Varanasi, he said.Under the rules, the secretary of the Bihar revenue board has been appointed special officer to hear claims and objections and oversee disposal. Applicants seeking ownership rights will have their claims evaluated, with district magistrates in UP tasked to assess payable amounts. Failure to deposit the fixed amount of the land may lead to cancellation of claims and transfer of ownership to the Bihar revenue board, Sinha said.