Valued at Rs 8,000 crore, half of Bettiah Raj land encroached upon in Bihar

With farmers paying an yearly sum to till the land, the Bihar government, which has been controlling the property since the decease of the 2nd widow of the past zamindar, makes astir Rs 2.5 crore from bandobasti (the administrative and gross postulation system) of the land. The property is presently managed by an further territory magistrate-level serviceman and 2 clerks.

Bettiah Raj originated successful the Champaran portion and traces its descent from Ujjain Singh and his son, Gaj Singh, who had received the rubric of Raja from Emperor Shah Jahan successful the 17th century. The past raja of Bettiah Raj, Harendra Kishore Singh, died successful 1893 without an heir and the property passed to his archetypal wife, who died successful 1896. It was past held by his 2nd wife, Maharani Janki Kuar, but came nether the absorption of a Court of Wards.

Since the Court of Wards took implicit the property successful 1897, it could not beryllium sold oregon transferred to anyone. Upon Maharani Janki Kuar’s decease successful 1954, the Bihar government took power of the estate.

Recently, the Bihar authorities provided a breakup of the onshore that was held by Bettiah Raj. Of the 15,215 acres nether the property successful Bihar, 9,758 acres is successful West Champaran, and 5,320 acres is successful East Champaran.

Government sources estimation that astir 50 per cent of this onshore has been encroached upon. According to officials, ever since the Revenue Council got a caller president earlier this year, the section has initiated an anti-encroachment thrust successful the erstwhile zamindari land.

Anil Kumar Sinha, the manager successful complaint of the Bettiah Raj estate, told The Indian Express: “After K K Pathak took implicit arsenic caput of the Revenue Council, determination has been a concerted effort to escaped Bettiah Raj onshore from encroachment. As onshore survey has been underway successful Bihar, helium has assigned territory magistrates and ellipse officers to place Bettiah Raj onshore and escaped it from encroachment.”

“Circle officers volition spell by onshore papers. If immoderate bandobasti and merchantability is done aft April 1, 1897, it is amerciable possession. The onshore survey volition settee the agelong pending contented erstwhile and for all,” Sinha said.