Bihar revenue officers’ association expresses objection over Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha’s remarks

Bihar Revenue Service Association (BiRSA) on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, expressed strong objection and serious concern over some statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha at a recent ministerial press conference in Patna.

Mr. Sinha, who also holds the Revenue and Land Reforms portfolio, in a press conference on Monday, March 9, 2026, hinted that some officers associated with the federation were allegedly acting as “agents of the land mafia” and could face suspension, dismissal or other punitive action.

The federation rejected the allegations as “baseless and unfounded” and said the remarks damaged the reputation of the entire Revenue Administration staff. “It is extremely unfortunate that officers entrusted with important responsibilities such as eradication of land encroachments, action against illegal occupation of land, resolution of land disputes, revenue collection, survey operations and disaster management are collectively subjected to insinuations questioning their integrity and commitment,” Federation General Secretary Jitendra Pandey said in a press release. he said.

Mr. Sinha, in his speech on Monday, March 9, 2026, also warned the protesting Circle Officers (COs) to return to work or face action. He added that if the striking COs do not return to work by Tuesday night, March 10, 2026, the ministry will task the blockade development officers (BDOs) and will also find replacements for them.

Pandey also said that BiRSA believes that when Revenue Administration officials raise legitimate administrative and institutional concerns in a democratic and peaceful manner, attempts are made to undermine these concerns by creating an environment of allegations and suspicion.

“Such statements not only distract from the real issues, but also negatively affect the morale of the Internal Revenue Service and damage institutional credibility,” he said.

Another General Secretary of the Federation, Rajni Kanti, explained that if there is concrete and credible evidence of collusion between any officer and the land mafia, such cases should be investigated through a fair and lawful process and stringent measures should be taken in accordance with the law.

He stated that the Federation will fully support this action, but that it is neither fair nor justified to put the entire staff and its representative body under suspicion without evidence.

BiRSA Chairman Anand Kumar said it was necessary to reiterate that the core issue of the current dispute was about the appointment to the post of Deputy Land Reform (DCLR) and the service structure governing the Revenue Service.

“Under the Bihar Revenue Service Rules, 2010, a total of 101 Deputy Collector Land Reform (DCLR) posts and 33 equivalent posts were initially notified for officers belonging to the Revenue Service cadre. However, these posts were allocated to officers from other services, deviating from the prescribed service rules. Such actions are against the established service structure and constitute a violation of the legitimate rights of the Revenue Service cadre.” said Anand.

He further said: “The matter was referred to the Patna High Court after the post was not given despite promotion in the said posts. After hearing the case, the court, in its order dated June 19, 2025, clearly directed that the Revenue Department officers who have already been promoted to the post of DCLR should be appointed accordingly, while officers belonging to other cadres should be placed in the newly created posts.”

“It is a matter of serious concern that instead of ensuring proper compliance with judicial directions, amendments are being made to the relevant rules which are aimed at effectively perverting the spirit and intent of the Court’s order. In this regard, a contempt petition is currently being considered before the Court,” Mr. Kumar added.

He pointed out that Revenue officials are officers who deal with land mafias, illegal encroachments and complex land disputes at the ground level. “Associating such officers with land mafias without any evidence is not only unreasonable but may also undermine ongoing efforts against such unlawful activities.”

Earlier, the Association officials had warned to boycott the business due to the Minister’s behaviour.