PATNA, Feb. 15 -- In a major relief for lakhs of landowners across Bihar, the revenue and land reforms department will begin allowing direct downloads of old land deeds, registry papers, and related documents through its official website from June this year. The long-awaited facility, frequently demanded by citizens frustrated with repeated visits to circle offices, will cover records dating back to the 1990s - and, in many cases, even earlier. The move is expected to eliminate the need for physical verification in most instances, significantly easing access to land records across the state. The move is part of a broader overhaul of land administration pushed aggressively by deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who holds the revenue and land reforms portfolio. Since taking charge, Sinha has made resolving state's notoriously tangled land disputes his top priority, often overriding resistance from circle officers and revenue staff accustomed to the old ways. Officials admitted that land disputes were a major source of crime and violence in the state, which often escalated into murders, caste clashes and prolonged family feuds. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has categorically stated on several occasions that around 60% of crimes in the state are linked to land disputes, making transparent and accessible records essential not just for administrative efficiency but also for reducing social tensions and criminal incidents. Sinha said that the department has been striving hard to make the downloads possible earlier before the set deadline. Officials say the deputy CM has been personally reviewing progress, issuing stern directives and transferring non-performing officers despite pushback from within the bureaucracy. "Fake documents are the root cause of most land disputes," Sinha has repeatedly stated in public meetings, insisting that digitisation and transparency are the only permanent solutions. Under the new system, landowners will be able to access pre-2006 registry documents and old survey records online by entering basic details such as khata number, plot number, and district. For records between 1990 and 2005, over four crore pages have already been scanned, while older documents are being prioritised. Once live, the portal will also allow payment of any pending fees online, with documents delivered digitally within minutes. The department has simultaneously tightened timelines for mutation (dakhil-kharij) cases. The officials have been asked to settle the mutation of undisputed succession or sale-based mutations within a week. In disputed cases, it has an 11 days' deadline. Mutation for privileged raiyats (special category) has been fixed for a maximum period of 14 days. 15 days has been stipulated for mutation of land with general errors and caste-related corrections in papers. The officials have been given a target of 75 days, the maximum limit, for complex cases. Officials claim online disposal rates for dakhil-kharij have jumped from around 25% to 75% in the past two years, with over 46 lakh pending applications cleared by the end of March 2026 target. More than 40 lakh farmers have already been registered under the ongoing land survey, which is scheduled for completion by 2027. For landowners long trapped in endless queues and paperwork, the June rollout promises a genuine break from the past. Yet officials admit that full success will depend on continued pressure from the top - pressure that the deputy CM Vijay Sinha has shown no signs of easing. In a related development, the Centre has identified three mining blocks in Rohtas district and two in Gaya for auction, while Gaya and Bhagalpur will each see one additional block opened for commercial extraction. Meanwhile, the Greater Patna Development Authority is preparing plans for 2,976 EWS flats and 1,306 LIG units across 15 zones, targeting low-income families in the expanding capital region....