PATNA/MUNGER, April 5 -- Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Saturday defended his decision to clear a controversial file transferring posts from the Bihar Revenue Service (BRS) to Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officers, saying he acted solely on instructions from the Chief Minister's Office. Speaking at a Jan Samvaad (public dialogue) programme on land reforms here, Sinha, who also holds the revenue and land reforms portfolio, said the file was placed before him by principal secretary CK Anil, who cited pressure from the CM's office. He categorically denied any role for his personal assistant, who belongs to the BAS cadre. "I cannot object to or question the discretion of chief minister Nitish Kumar, under whose leadership the state has made all-round progress," Sinha said. He, however, hinted at a possible attempt to undermine the department's ongoing efforts to fix chronic problems in land records, mutations and measurements. These services have been severely disrupted since revenue officers and circle officers began mass casual leave on March 9. The strike has badly hit the government's ambitious mega revenue campaign, under which over 40 lakh applications for correction of land records, six lakh mutation cases and thousands of land measurement requests were to be disposed of by the end of March. Despite the turmoil, Sinha struck a firm note on the land reform drive. "The land reform campaign will not stop in any circumstances. The government will take strict action against land mafias and those spreading anarchy," he declared. Addressing a large gathering at Munger Praksha Grih, he described land disputes as a "stain" on Bihar that often dragged on for generations, affecting not just two individuals but entire families and villages. Sinha said the Jan Samvaad meetings were a direct link between the government and the people. Over 15,000 complaints have already been received and are being monitored digitally. He warned that anyone illegally occupying government or poor people's land would face FIRs and legal action, irrespective of their influence. Officers found indulging in corruption or unnecessary delays in land cases would also be punished, he added. He also dismissed rumours about his personal staff's involvement in certain decisions, calling them "fabricated stories" meant to mislead. "The government does not take decisions under pressure or influence. All decisions are taken on the basis of rules and public interest," Sinha said. He described strikes and bandhs as symbols of anarchy that belong to the past. "Bihar has moved ahead from that era," he asserted, appealing to the people to cooperate in the land reform mission for a peaceful and developed state. The programme began with Sinha lighting the traditional lamp. Principal secretary CK Anil, divisional commissioner Prem Singh Meena, DIG Rakesh Kumar and others were present. Hours after the event, the Bihar Revenue Service Association (BiRSA) and united forum of revenue service officers (BiRSA-U) issued a sharp rebuttal, questioning the deputy CM's version of events. In a detailed statement, the union reminded the deputy chief minister of a meeting on February 5, in which he had reportedly admitted that a file related to increasing promotion posts in the revenue department had been signed "by mistake" after being misled. He had promised to correct it in writing by February 12, the union claimed. The officers argued that the BRS cadre was created in 2010 by Nitish Kumar himself on the recommendations of the Bandopadhyay Committee to strengthen land reforms and revenue administration. They alleged that experienced BRS officers were being systematically sidelined in favour of "new and inexperienced" officers from another service - a situation they said does not exist in any other department. The union also highlighted delays in the land survey mega campaign in Munger district. The first phase, launched in 2020, was supposed to be completed by 2022, but not a single village has seen final publication of records or operational use of new maps and khatiyans even now. The second phase, started in August 2024, has also missed revised deadlines, the statement said. On the backlog of 40 lakh correction applications, the union clarified that revenue staff were not responsible. The original deadline of October 31, 2025, could not be met because of assembly elections. Subsequent deadlines of December 31, 2025, and March 31, 2026, were also affected by simultaneous launch of agricultural census, farmer registration and measurement campaigns with limited manpower. The officers welcomed Sinha's assurance of strict action against corruption but suggested the probe should also cover those who had been in the department since 2010. They maintained that their agitation was not weak and mutation appeals and other revenue work were even more delayed in district offices and courts outside the circle offices. With both the government and its own revenue cadre digging in, the land reform exercise in Bihar appears caught between political directives and administrative unrest. Ordinary citizens, meanwhile, continue to wait for resolution of long-pending land disputes that affect their daily lives and livelihoods....