Patna: The revenue and land reforms department on Monday ordered departmental proceedings against six former circle officers (COs) for alleged negligence in duty and financial irregularities. Based on recommendations made by minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, the department has ordered the filing of an FIR against one officer, withholding of salary increments and initiation of departmental proceedings against others.The department ordered the withholding of two salary increments of former Thakurganj (Kishanganj) CO Om Prakash Bhagat, with cumulative effect, and directed that a criminal case be registered against him. He is accused of issuing a caste certificate under the Backward Class category to an ineligible person in violation of established rules. The department has also ordered an FIR and departmental proceedings against the revenue officer and revenue staff concerned.Disciplinary proceedings have been ordered against Nishchal Prem, former CO of Kishanganj, for allegedly making advance payments without a formal work order and committing financial irregularities. The department also ordered the withholding of three salary increments, without cumulative effect, of former Akodhigola (Rohtas) CO Jitendra Kumar Singh for alleged irregularities in the mutation process.Former Barari (Katihar) CO Lalan Kumar Mandal will face departmental proceedings for allegedly failing to remove encroachments from govt land and for not complying with govt order No. 660/2023 in a timely manner.The then Mansahi (Katihar) CO Mahesh Prasad Singh is accused of approving mutation cases contrary to the orders of the deputy collector land reforms (DCLR) and processing pending entries in the land records register (khatiyan). The department has directed that a chargesheet be issued against him.The sixth officer to face action is Raj Narayan Raja, the then CO of Hathua (Gopalganj). He is accused of keeping four mutation cases pending for more than a year. According to the department, he failed to respond to notices seeking an explanation despite repeated reminders. The department has ordered the withholding of two of his salary increments without cumulative effect.
