Revenue officers to hold mandatory public hearings twice a week from Jan 19

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, Jan 17 (IANS) In a major step towards making revenue administration more people-friendly, efficient and sensitive to public interest, the Department of Revenue and Land Reforms has directed all revenue officers in Bihar to compulsorily remain present in their offices on two working days every week — Monday and Friday — to hear public grievances.

The new initiative will come into effect from January 19, 2026.

The directive has been issued by Principal Secretary of the Department of Revenue and Land Reforms C.K. Anil under the Seven Resolves-3 (2025–2030) programme being implemented under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The initiative focuses on making governance more citizen-centric, transparent and responsive through innovation and modern administrative practices.

The move follows the launch of the Land Reforms Public Welfare Dialogue initiative by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Revenue and Land Reforms Vijay Kumar Sinha.

The programme began in Patna district and was later conducted in Lakhisarai, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, Purnea and Bhagalpur, where citizens directly raised their grievances related to land and revenue matters.

Feedback from these interactions highlighted the need for greater accountability and sensitivity in revenue administration.

According to the instructions issued, respectful and courteous behaviour towards citizens has been made mandatory in all revenue offices.

To ensure transparency and timely redressal, digital record-keeping of all complaints received from citizens has been made compulsory.

This system will enable effective monitoring of grievances and fix accountability at every level.

The directive also assigns a key role to Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates in strengthening revenue administration within their respective jurisdictions.

Their responsibility will be to reduce the hardships faced by citizens in revenue-related processes and contribute to improving their overall quality of life.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the purpose of revenue administration goes beyond the enforcement of rules.

“Our objective is to ensure quick, transparent, and respectful resolution of problems faced by ordinary citizens. Mandatory public hearings on Mondays and Fridays, digital grievance management, and availability of citizen facilities will make the system more accountable,” he said.

He added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and as part of the Seven Resolves-3 initiative, the government is committed to translating the vision of ‘Respect for All – Ease of Living’ into reality, ensuring the timely delivery of revenue services and strengthening public trust in the administration.

–IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 31 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the core leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal to constantly counter Trinamool Congress’ propaganda, which is spreading fear and panic among voters from the Matua community about their potential loss of voting rights following the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.

While addressing a press conference in the city on Tuesday afternoon, the Union Home Minister clearly assured the Matua community that the voting rights of individuals who have submitted applications for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will be preserved. Later in the day, he had a meeting with the core state leadership of the party, where he directed the state party leaders to counter Trinamool Congress’ constant propaganda on the matter, said a state committee member of the BJP in West Bengal.

He also directed the core state leadership to organise regular interaction programmes with the Matua community voters, assuring them protection of their voting rights and allaying their fears in the matter.

“As regards the formalities about those submitting applications for citizenship under the CAA, the Union Home Minister has assured us of looking into the matter personally,” the state committee member said.

Matuas are people from a socially backward community who came to West Bengal as refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh and settled in various pockets of the state, with their concentration being mainly in Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts.

Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal started, Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have been constantly making claims that several Matua voters settled in the state would lose their voting rights.

Besides giving specific instructions on the Matua issue, the state committee member said, the Union Home Minister had also directed the state leaders to constantly counter the propaganda of CPI(M)-led Left Front and a section of the state Congress leaders in West Bengal of a clandestine understanding between the top leadership of BJP and Trinamool Congress.

“Finally, he directed us to start aggressive campaigning for the state Assembly polls from the beginning of the new year, considering that the polling might be as early as April next year,” the state committee member said.

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Gujarat govt to procure tur at MSP of Rs 8,000 per quintal; registration opens till Dec 22

Ahmedabad, Dec 17 (IANS) The Gujarat cabinet, on Wednesday, held detailed deliberations on the procurement of tur (pigeon pea) at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani announced that the government will purchase tur at a support price of Rs 8,000 per quintal, in line with the Centre’s MSP policy.

The procurement process will commence from December 22, with farmer registrations also opening on the same day to ensure ease and transparency in the process. The move is expected to benefit thousands of tur growers across the state by assuring them fair and remunerative prices for their produce.

Calling it a major step towards safeguarding farmers from market volatility, Vaghani said the decision would bring greater transparency in the sale of kharif crops and provide much-needed financial security to farmers.

He appealed to farmers to complete their registrations within the stipulated timeframe to avail the benefits of the scheme.

The cabinet meeting also reviewed the disbursement of assistance under the agricultural relief package.

Following these discussions, the MSP for tur was finalised to ensure that farmers are not forced into distress sales and receive a just price for their crops.

Notably, after the recent cabinet expansion, key portfolios including Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Protocol have been entrusted to Jitu Vaghani.

Over the past few days, he has actively pushed farmer-centric decisions, playing a crucial role in the cabinet by voicing farmers’ concerns and advocating for affordable and fair pricing mechanisms.

The decision is being seen as a timely intervention ahead of the procurement season, reinforcing the government’s commitment to farmer welfare.

Gujarat has a large and diverse agrarian base, with around 54 lakh farmers engaged in agriculture and allied activities across the state. These include small and marginal farmers who form the majority, along with medium and large landholders cultivating crops such as cotton, groundnut, tur, wheat, cumin and vegetables.

Agriculture remains the backbone of rural Gujarat, supporting not only cultivators but also millions of families dependent on animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries and farm-linked livelihoods.

With varied agro-climatic zones, from arid Kutch to fertile central and south Gujarat, the farming community plays a crucial role in ensuring food security, sustaining rural employment and contributing significantly to the state’s economy.

–IANS

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India’s GST collection jumps 6.1 per cent to cross Rs 1.74 lakh crore in December

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) India’s GST (goods and services tax) collection recorded a 6.1 per cent increase to Rs 1,74,550 crore in December 2025 compared to Rs 1,64,556 crore the same month of the previous year, reflecting the increase in economic activity during the month, official figures released on Thursday showed.

Central GST collections rose to Rs 34,289 crore, state GST collections to Rs 41,368 crore, and integrated GST collections to Rs 98,894 crore.

The government raised Rs 4,551 crore via the GST compensation cess, which is continuing only as a transitory arrangement till the entire loan and interest liability are settled. The full-year collection was Rs 88,385 crore, compared to Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2024.

While there are new higher GST slabs like 40 per cent for luxury items, the cess continues on tobacco and pan masala.

Total GST refunds in December amounted to Rs 28,980 crore, compared with Rs 22,138 crore in the same month of the previous year.

The GST collection has registered a growth despite the cut in tax rates that kicked in on September 22, as this has resulted in an increase in the demand for goods and services by consumers, leading to an increase in economic activity.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry on Thursday also issued a series of notifications that would bring into effect the new tax regime for tobacco products from February 1, 2026.

It was notified that the Central Excise (Amendment) Act, 2025, passed in the recently-concluded Winter session of Parliament, would come into force from February 1, 2026. This Act specifies new rates of excise duty on tobacco products. It also notified that the provisions of the Health Security Se National Security Act, 2025, which currently levies a cess on the manufacture of pan masala, will come into force from February 1, 2026

The ministry also released an FAQ list to explain that, under the Goods and Services Tax regime, the excise duty on cigarettes had so far been rendered a nominal amount of a “fraction of a paisa” per cigarette stick, and that the GST compensation cess rate on tobacco products had not been increased since it was implemented in July 2017.

–IANS

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