The JD(U) government in Bihar has provided three decimal land to 96 per cent families belonging to dalit, mahadalit and backward castes in Bihar.
"We have provided three decimal land to 96 per cent of all landless families ranging from dalit to backward castes to enable them to construct a lifetime ambition of a house of their own," Bihar's Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Narendra Narayan Yadav told the Assembly while replying to the debate on his department's budgetary demand of Rs 714 crore for 2015-16.
In actual numbers, out of a total of 2.43 lakh families identified to be landless as per a survey, 2.34 lakh of them belonging to dalit, mahadalit and other backward castes have been given land for housing, he said.
The remaining families will be provided with the same soon for which land was being acquired at market rate, Yadav said.
However, three decimal land was insufficient for beneficiary families to construct a spacious house and the state government has decided to provide an additional two decimal land for garden and cattle shed, he said.
The Minister also announced a policy for construction of approach road connecting habitats of such families which had no road connectivity in the villages, land for it will be acquired under the new land acquisition policy at four times more than the market rate.
Noting that land-related disputes are one of the major causes of law and order problems in any civil society, including Bihar, Yadav stressed on upgradation of land records from district to block level so that all disputes could be resolved as per law.
He said that his department has been carrying out training programme for its officers and employees to deal with land-related issues.
He promised a zero tolerance policy for corruption charges and said strict actions have been taken against those officials and employees found guilty of taking bribes during registration and mutation of land deeds.
Stating that there has been shortage of manpower in the department affecting its day-to-day works, he said that there will recruitment of amin and other officials for speedy resolution of land-related disputes.
The minister also announced a revenue collection target of Rs 250 crore for the next fiscal year.
