Land feud big issue, CM tells officials

Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday pointed out to civil servants how land acquisition and land disputes have cropped up as the biggest issues for Bihar, and asked them to expedite survey and settlement work.

“Land acquisition for development work is the most problematic and the most important thing in the state. It delays development projects. Land disputes have come up as the biggest issue in the state. Maximum cases at all levels and even murders are being reported for it,” Nitish said during Civil Services Day celebration in Patna.

The state government, Nitish said, has started survey and settlement work of land, to be followed by consolidation of land. This work is expected to be completed in seven years. “Completion of survey and settlement will lessen land disputes, consolidation will lead to a sharp rise in agricultural production. I invoke you all to expedite the work,” he said.

Nitish admitted that workload has gone up manifold because of various development and welfare schemes including seven resolves, Bihar Right to Public Service Act and Bihar Right to Public Grievance Redressal Act, and “at the same time we are grappling with lack of officers”.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi requested the civil servants to keep in their minds that they were “public servants and not their lords”.

Principal secretary, home, Amir Subhani delivered the inaugural speech, laced with wit and humour, at the programme attended by IAS and Bihar administrative service officials, including chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and development commissioner Shishir Sinha.

Nitish honoured Samastipur district magistrate (DM) Pranav Kumar, Jehanabad DM Alok Ranjan Ghosh and Patna DM Kumar Ravi, and transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal for better implementation of the Bihar Right to Public Service Act.

Kishanganj DM Pankaj Dikshit, Darbhanga DM Chandra Shekhar Singh and Madhepura DM Mohammad Sohail were awarded for implementation of the grievance redressal act. Nalanda DM Thiyagrajan SM and deputy development commissioner Subrat Kumar Sen, Sheikhpura DM Dinesh Kumar and deputy development commissioner Niranjan Kumar Jha, and Rohtas DM Animesh Kumar Parashar and deputy development commissioner Udita Singh were honoured for implementation of the seven resolves.

Courtesy: The Telegraph