Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha. Photo: Neeraj Kumar
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The strike by employees of the Bihar Revenue Service has begun to visibly affect the functioning of circle offices across the state. Staff associated with the revenue department are staying away from work to protest over their 11-point list of demands, leading to disruption in several important land-related services.
Services such as mutation of land records, correction of jamabandi (land records), land measurement, amendments and other revenue-related work have slowed down or come to a halt in many places. People visiting circle offices to get their work done are facing considerable inconvenience, with many being forced to return without completing their tasks.
Rajnikant, General Secretary of the Bihar Revenue Service Joint Federation, said several of their demands have been pending for a long time. Despite repeatedly raising the issue before the government, no concrete solution has emerged so far.
“Our 11-point demand has been submitted earlier through memorandums, but no action was taken. As a result, we were compelled to take the path of agitation,” he said, adding that employees had continuously attempted dialogue with the department and the government regarding their grievances.
Meanwhile, the Bihar government has taken a tough stance on the strike. Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha stated clearly that disruption of public services would not be tolerated. He warned that if employees did not return to work soon, the government would be forced to take administrative action.
“While being in government service, it is not appropriate to affect public work. Employees must understand their responsibility and restore normal functioning in offices. By going on strike, revenue employees have weakened their own demands. They must call off the strike unconditionally, otherwise they may even face dismissal,” he said.
Sinha also emphasised that the government is ready to listen to employees’ concerns, but creating pressure through a strike is not the right way to resolve issues. He appealed to employees to prioritise public interest and return to work as soon as possible.
“If there are problems, they can be resolved through dialogue, but paralysing the administrative system is not the correct approach. The shutdown of administrative work is causing hardship to ordinary citizens,” he added.
The strike has already begun to affect the general public, particularly in matters related to land. People depend heavily on circle offices for such services, and with employees staying away from work, the pace of these services has slowed considerably. Complaints have emerged from several districts that essential work is not being completed on time, causing difficulties especially for people in rural areas.
During the interaction, Deputy Chief Minister Sinha also spoke about the government’s achievements over the past 100 days, stating that the administration is working with full dedication for the welfare of the public.
At present, while employees remain firm on their demands and continue their protest, the government has issued a stern warning. It remains to be seen in the coming days whether dialogue will resolve the stalemate or if the confrontation will prolong further.
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