4 min readPatnaMar 11, 2026 07:08 AM IST
A month after more than 1,000 Circle Officers (COs) and Revenue Officers (ROs) in Bihar went on strike over the state government’s decision to create a new cadre at the sub-divisional level, which essentially denies them promotion to the post of Deputy Collector Land Reforms (DCLR), they have again gone on indefinite strike, seeking written assurance from the government.
DCLR was the topmost position that a Bihar Revenue Service (BRS) officer could hold.
The earlier strike had impacted the Revenue Department’s work, including the ongoing statewide land survey and digitisation of land records. With the Revenue Department being the nodal body for the national Census, the processes for which are set to start next month, there is concern that the strike, if it lasts that long, could affect that too.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who is also the Revenue and Land Reforms minister, has warned of stern action against protesting officers. “They must not mistake our sympathy for them as weakness. If they do not call off the strike, we will give additional tasks to block development officers (BDOs) and also go for fresh appointments,” said the minister.
During the last strike, the state government had asked the COs to return government vehicles and laptops, and made it clear that striking officials would not get salaries for absent days.
Bihar has 537 blocks. Each block has a Circle Officer and a Revenue Officer.
The clash between the state government and BRS officials began during the online land survey, when minister Vijay Kumar Sinha had openly reprimanded several COs during a hearing on public grievances that included allegations of corruption against COs.
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However, the immediate trigger for COs and ROs going on strike the last time was the state Cabinet giving its nod for the creation of a new post of Sub-Divisional Revenue Officer (SRO), which is not a magisterial position.
Under the new rule, a BRS official who joins as a Revenue Officer and later becomes a Circle Officer can now get promoted to SRO, but not DCLR, as was earlier possible. Under this, the DCLR post will go to Bihar Administrative Service officers.
Another trigger was the Finance Department writing to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to sanction 101 additional positions of DCLR to share the workload with the Revenue and Land Reforms departments.
Several COs said that if the government did not withdraw its decision, it would demotivate COs and lead to massive corruption.
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The Bihar Revenue Service Association (BIRSA) has said that the state government’s decision to create the position of SRO was in contravention of BRS Rules, 2010 and a Patna High Court judgment last week.
BIRSA president Anand Kumar said, “We want written assurance from the government about giving DCLR positions to BRS officials only. The government is not honouring the Patna High Court’s recent order on DCLR positions going to BRS officials as per rule.”
A CO said it would be an injustice to BRS officials if a Bihar Administrative Service officer becomes DCLR within one year of his/her job, while a BRS officer with 10-plus years’ experience would be denied that position. “BRS is a specialised service, only a BRS officer should become DCLR. Patna HC also says as much,” said the CO.
