Bihar

• 26 Oct 2024

Bihar’s Land Survey Sparks Mixed Reactions

Why in News?

Bihar's recent land survey aims to update century-old records, impacting ownership claims, especially among marginalized communities.

Key Points

• Historical Background
  • Bihar’s last comprehensive land survey dates to the British period in 1910-1911, with partial attempts made in 1967 and 1980.
  • The current survey, initiated in 2013, aims to cover all 45,000 revenue villages by 2025 .
• Scope and Process
  • Over 10,000 personnel, including land surveyors, have been deployed to digitize over 150 million land records.
  • This includes verifying the genealogy charts, critical for proving familial claims to land. Boundary measurement for each landholding is slated for early 2025.
• Challenges Encountered
  • Verification of Ownership: Absence of clear partition deeds has led to disputes, with residents struggling to confirm family-owned land as informal, verbal agreements often dictate ownership.
  • Document Translation: Historical documents, many written in Kaithi script, require translation and comprehension, creating delays. The government has introduced training to facilitate script translation .
  • Technology Hurdles: Poor internet connectivity in rural areas hampers real-time updating and retrieval of records, leading to inconsistencies in uploaded data .
• Social Implications
  • Gendered Disputes: A significant issue is the inclusion of women’s inheritance rights, leading to conflicts within families. Married women have faced pressure to relinquish their claims, challenging entrenched patriarchal norms .
  • Community Tensions: Land claims have led to violence in some cases, with recent instances of Dalit homes being torched due to boundary disputes with upper-caste communities .