Vijay Sinha vs CO : Can the Deputy CM End CO Corruption in Bihar?

Patna: When you talk to the common people of Bihar, they say they are most pareshan by land matters. They also say that without money, even Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would not be able to get his land documents issued by a CO (Circle Officer) in Bihar, who is responsible for handling land issues and related documents.

Land disputes remain the leading cause of murders in Bihar, a fact repeatedly highlighted in NCRB reports. Despite multiple policy interventions over the years, the problem has persisted. Now, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, after taking charge of the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, has launched a direct assault on the system—triggering strong resistance from within the department itself.

Sinha initiated district-level Jan Samvad (public interaction) programmes, where citizens were encouraged to raise complaints directly in front of revenue officials. During these hearings, serious irregularities related to land mutation, record correction, and fake jamabandi came to light. Several officials were suspended on the spot, and on Monday, another Circle Officer (CO) faced action.

As enforcement intensified, the Bihar Revenue Service Association launched protests and wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing the Deputy CM of publicly humiliating officers and bypassing constitutional and administrative norms. The association alleged violations of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, describing the process as “jan adalat,” “drumhead court martial,” and a form of “spectacle-driven governance.”

Deputy CM Vijay Sinha, however, has refused to soften his stance. He said that those opposing the reforms are afraid of change, and alleged that some officials within the department maintain links with land mafias. “There will be action, not warnings,” he asserted.

The confrontation revolves around four key reform areas:

1. Delays and illegal collections in land mutation,

2. Encroachment through forged documents,

3. Deliberate stalling of land record corrections (parimarjan), and

4. Introduction of an online system for family land partition to reduce court dependency.

While the government claims these reforms are essential to curb land disputes and associated violence, protesting officials argue that the measures amount to institutional humiliation in the name of popularity. Will strict administrative action finally reform Bihar’s broken land system, or will this confrontation paralyze the state’s revenue machinery?