Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Bihar government has put an end to the long-standing confusion over the issuance of genealogy certificates in urban areas. Circle Officers will now be the competent authority to issue genealogy certificates in municipal corporation, municipal council and nagar panchayat areas.
The absence of genealogy certificates had emerged as a major hurdle in the ongoing special land survey in the state. Without these documents, families were unable to carry out property partition, adversely affecting survey operations and the mutation process. The government has now arrived at a permanent solution to this problem.
According to an order issued by the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, citizens in urban areas can obtain genealogy certificates from the Circle Officer of their respective circle. The arrangement has come into effect immediately. Earlier, there was no clearly designated authority in urban areas, forcing people to make repeated visits to government offices.
In rural areas, genealogy certificates have traditionally been issued by sarpanches under the Panchayati Raj Department rules. To address this disparity between urban and rural systems, the Revenue and Land Reforms Department and the Urban Development and Housing Department took a joint initiative.
Following detailed discussions with the Bihar Advocate General on December 18, 2025, the Law Department agreed to the proposal to empower Circle Officers. After considering all aspects, the state government took this significant decision.
Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the double-engine government is committed to resolving citizens’ problems. The lack of a clear mechanism in urban areas had caused considerable inconvenience, he said, adding that the new system would ensure timely and transparent service through Circle Officers.
The decision is expected to benefit lakhs of citizens and accelerate land surveys as well as property partition processes. An order issued by departmental principal secretary C.K. Anil stated that the arrangement would remain in force until further orders and could be modified if required. The move is set to speed up administrative and legal work related to genealogy certificates.
Genealogy certificates are crucial documents for property division, family disputes, government schemes and judicial proceedings. The new system is expected to bring significant relief to urban residents and make administrative processes more streamlined and accountable, with scope for further review and improvements in the future.
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