The Patna High Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to ensure that a survey of the state of Bihar is done and consolidation proceedings concluded.
An affidavit has been filed on 02.07.2024 by the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Land Reforms Department, Government of Bihar from which states that :-
“9. That it is relevant to mention here in that for conducting the smooth function of Special Survey and Settlement, 2011, Appointments have been made to the post of Special Survey Assistant Settlement Officer (SSASO)-353, Special Survey Kanoongo (SSK)-758, Special Survey Amin (SSA1)-8035 and Special Survey Clerk (SSC1)-742 (Total 98881) and appointment letters will be issued from 03.07.2024 and thereafter they are going to join in concerned district from 04.07.2024 to 10.07.2024.
After submitting their joining in the concerned district, a training program shall be conducted in the district for 2 weeks.
After that in all districts of the State of Bihar, the Survey Process is commenced. After commencement of the process of Survey has been targeted to be completed in next 24 months.
That it is important to mentione herein that the first phase survey process was initiated from September 2020 in which final survey have been done in 856 Revenue villages. The consolidation process will be started in aforesaid revenue villages from available manpower and other resources in the Consolidation Directorate. The Details of works done in Special Survey Process is shown in the chart.
That further, the second phase of the Special Survey was started from September 2021 but due to lack of work force / other resources, the survey has been suspended till today.
After training of newly appointed employees in Survey and Settlement Offices, the Survey will be started in full swing.
After completing the survey process in the Revenue Villages, the Consolidation Directorate shall proceed with the land records prepared in Survey Proceeding and shall start the consolidation process under section 8 of the Consolidation Act and shall try as Pilot project from available manpower and to complete the process as soon as possible. The details of the phase Survey shown in the given chart.”
The Division Bench of Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice Nani Tagia recorded the undertaking that the survey proceedings would now be completed in the next twenty four months. It is also stated that the consolidation proceeding would be commenced in the revenue villages, in which survey is completed, so as to conclude the same also within a period of time.