Patna: Bihar has made it clear that people seeking benefits under the Abhiyan Basera initiative do not need to travel to the state headquarters in Patna to submit their Vasbhumi applications. The Revenue and Land Reforms Department has directed all Circle Officers to receive such applications at their respective Circle offices and provide applicants with an acknowledgement receipt.
The direction was issued by Revenue and Land Reforms Department Secretary Jai Singh during a video conference with Circle Officers across the state on Friday.
The move is aimed at making the application process more accessible for potential landless beneficiaries and preventing unnecessary trips to the state capital.
Circle Offices Must Accept Vasbhumi Applications
Under the instructions, every application submitted by a potential Vasbhumi-less beneficiary must be received at the concerned Circle office. After submission, officials must provide an acknowledgement receipt to the applicant as proof that the application has been received.
The department has also made the responsibility of local officials clear. If an applicant has to travel to Patna because the concerned Circle office refuses to accept the application, the responsibility of the Circle Officer concerned will be fixed.
This direction is expected to reduce the burden on applicants, particularly those living in rural areas who may otherwise have to spend time and money travelling to the state headquarters for a basic administrative service.
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Revenue Officials Told to Take Responsibility
The Secretary instructed Circle Officers to ensure that applicants receive proper assistance at the local level. The emphasis is on resolving applications within the existing administrative system instead of pushing people towards the state headquarters.
The instructions also underline the wider role of Circle Officers in ensuring that land-related services reach beneficiaries at the grassroots level.
For people applying under Abhiyan Basera, the Circle office will therefore remain the primary point for submitting applications and obtaining acknowledgement of their requests.
Jamabandi Correction Campaign Under Close Watch
The department is simultaneously monitoring the ongoing Jamabandi correction and inheritance mutation special campaign, which will continue until October 31.
The campaign aims to correct errors in Jamabandi records and complete eligible inheritance mutation cases within the stipulated period. Headquarters-level teams are monitoring applications, disposal rates and the quality of work being carried out at the Circle and revenue levels.
As part of this monitoring exercise, departmental teams will visit all 38 districts on Saturday for surprise inspections.
The inspections will assess the progress being made under the campaign and check whether instructions issued by the department are being implemented effectively.
Applications Not Always Required for Jamabandi Correction
The department has also clarified an important aspect of the Jamabandi correction exercise. Revenue officials have been asked to reach out to residents across all revenue areas and collect applications wherever required.
Revenue employees will collect applications from the respective areas and submit them to Circle Officers for further action.
However, the responsibility for correcting eligible and erroneous Jamabandi records will not rest entirely with the landholder. The department has specifically told Circle Officers that if a raiyat does not submit an application, the responsibility for necessary correction still lies with the Circle Officer.
This means the campaign is not intended to depend solely on individual applications. Officials are expected to identify and address eligible corrections as part of the special drive.
Focus on Faster Land Record Services
The 45-day campaign is designed to improve the accuracy of land records and speed up inheritance mutation for eligible cases. Continuous monitoring from the headquarters, along with district-level inspections, is intended to keep the work on schedule.
The latest directions also place greater accountability on Circle Officers, both for accepting Vasbhumi applications and for ensuring that Jamabandi-related work is completed properly.
For residents, the two measures have a direct administrative benefit: Vasbhumi applicants can submit their forms closer to home, while the ongoing land-record campaign seeks to address errors without placing the entire responsibility on individual landholders.
The meeting was also attended by Special Officer Anupam Prakash and IT Manager Anand Shankar.
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