RTI in Bihar: Bhumi Jankari Land Records, BSPHCL, and the Bihar State Information Commission

Bihar is home to more than 130 million people, spread across 38 districts, hundreds of blocks, and thousands of gram panchayats. It is a state where government decisions — about whose name is on a land record, whether a mutation has been processed, whether MGNREGS wages were actually paid — can determine a family's livelihood, housing, and security for generations. For Bihar residents trying to navigate the state's bureaucracy or hold government bodies accountable, the Right to Information Act, 2005 is one of the most direct legal tools available.

This guide explains how RTI works specifically in Bihar: which bodies fall under the Bihar government's RTI framework, how the Bihar State Information Commission works, Bihar's distinctive land record system and how to use RTI within it, the major state bodies most commonly targeted in RTI filings, and the critical distinction between Bihar state bodies and Central Government bodies that happen to operate within Bihar.

The Two-Track RTI System in Bihar

Before drafting any RTI application, the most important question is: which government does this body belong to?

Central Government bodies operating in Bihar — the Income Tax Department (Patna region), EPFO regional offices, East Central Railway (headquartered in Hajipur), IIT Patna, NIT Patna, Customs and Central Excise offices, BSNL Bihar Circle, and the Airports Authority of India (Patna airport) — are Central Government public authorities. RTI applications to these bodies must be filed at rtionline.gov.in. Their First Appeal goes to a senior officer in the same Central Government department, and if that fails, the Second Appeal goes to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act.

Bihar State Government bodies — everything under the Government of Bihar: district administrations, Revenue Department offices, Circle Officer offices, Nagar Nigams and Nagar Panchayats, BSPHCL and its distribution companies, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), Bihar Police, gram panchayats, state scheme implementation offices — are state public authorities. RTI applications to these bodies should be filed through the Bihar state RTI portal (always verify the current, active URL on the official Bihar government website, as portal URLs and payment mechanisms can change). Second appeals for state bodies go to the Bihar State Information Commission in Patna.

Getting this distinction wrong wastes your 30-day response window. Always confirm which government controls the body before filing.

The Bihar State Information Commission

The Bihar State Information Commission (Bihar SIC) is established under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005, which requires every state government to constitute a State Information Commission. It is headquartered in Patna and is the final appellate authority for RTI matters involving Bihar state public authorities.

The Bihar SIC handles second appeals filed under Section 19(3) of the Act, after a citizen has already gone through the First Appeal within the department. It also handles complaints under Section 18 — for instance, when a CPIO did not respond within 30 days, or when the response was clearly incomplete or deliberately evasive.

The State Chief Information Commissioner heads the Bihar SIC, supported by State Information Commissioners. Like most State Information Commissions, the Bihar SIC carries a significant backlog. This makes it all the more important to write a well-drafted, specific First Appeal — the majority of RTI matters can and should be resolved at the departmental First Appeal stage before ever reaching the Bihar SIC.

RTI Fees in Bihar

Under the central RTI Act, the application fee is ₹10 under the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. However, states are empowered under Section 28 of the RTI Act to make their own rules on fees for state public authorities. Bihar has notified its own RTI rules governing the fee structure for Bihar state bodies. Always verify the current fee amount on the official Bihar government portal or from the Bihar RTI rules currently in force — the fee for Bihar state bodies may differ from the central ₹10.

BPL exemption: Under Section 7(5) of the RTI Act, applicants who are below poverty line (BPL) cardholders are not required to pay any fee. This right comes from the Act itself, applies to all Bihar state authorities, and cannot be removed by state rules. Attach a self-attested copy of your BPL card and explicitly mention Section 7(5) in your application.

For Central Government bodies in Bihar (East Central Railway, IT Department, EPFO, etc.), the fee is ₹10 under central rules, payable by Indian Postal Order, demand draft, or online payment at rtionline.gov.in.

Land Records in Bihar: Bhumi Jankari, Jamabandi, Khesra, and Khatian

Land disputes and land record queries are the single largest category of RTI use in Bihar. Bihar is an agrarian state with a complex, layered revenue administration — the Patwari (or Amin) at the village level, the Circle Officer (CO) at the circle or block level, and the SDO and District Collector above that. Land record errors, delayed mutations, and disputed ownership histories are extremely common.

Understanding the Records

Jamabandi is Bihar's foundational record of rights. It is the same document called Khatauni in Uttar Pradesh and 7/12 in Maharashtra. The Jamabandi shows, for each landholding unit: whose name the land is registered in, the area of land, the classification (agricultural, homestead, pond, road, etc.), the nature of the holding, and any encumbrances or tenancy details. It is the document you need to establish who owns what.

Khesra (also spelled Khesara or Khasra) is the field-level survey register, organised by individual survey plot numbers. Each Khesra number corresponds to a specific piece of land in a village. The Khesra records the area, the current possession, the crop being grown, and the name of the occupant for each field. Together with the Jamabandi, it provides a complete picture of ownership and possession.

Khatian is the parcel-level registration unit that links a specific owner to specific Khesra numbers in the village. A Khatian number is essentially the folio in the record of rights under which one owner (or a joint family) holds their land. When you want to know all the land belonging to a specific person or household in a village, you look up their Khatian number. For RTI purposes, you will often be asked to provide the Khatian number, village, Circle, and district to uniquely identify the records you are seeking.

Bhumi Jankari: Bihar's Online Land Records Portal

The Bihar government's digitised land records portal — popularly known as Bhumi Jankari — allows citizens to view Jamabandi and related land records online. The portal is accessible through the Revenue and Land Reforms Department's official website (verify the current URL at biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in or the state government portal, as URLs can change and portals are periodically updated or reorganised).

Bhumi Jankari is the first place to check for basic ownership information. If the data you need is available and current, you can view it immediately without a formal RTI. However, Bhumi Jankari has significant limitations:

• A portal printout is not a certified copy. In legal proceedings, before a court or in a formal dispute, you need a certified copy bearing the official seal of the issuing authority. That certified copy comes from the Circle Office or Tehsildar, through a formal application or through RTI.
• If the portal data is wrong or outdated — showing an old owner's name, an incorrect area, or missing a mutation that was passed — the portal printout does not help you prove the error. An RTI requesting the official paper register entry and any mutation orders will show the ground truth of the record.
• If you need historical records — the Jamabandi as it stood in a particular year, old khesra entries from before a partition, records from an earlier survey — the portal may not have them. Physical records in the Circle Office or the district collectorate are the source.
• If you are dealing with a disputed boundary, encroachment, or forged entry, you need official documents issued by the revenue administration, not portal screenshots.

Where to file: For Khesra, Jamabandi, and Khatian records, the CPIO is typically the Circle Officer (CO) of the relevant circle (the unit between the block/panchayat and the sub-division). For district-level revenue queries, the CPIO may be at the District Collectorate's Revenue Department office. Confirm the designated CPIO at the relevant CO office or collectorate before filing.

All Bihar Revenue and Land Reforms Department offices are state government bodies — second appeal to the Bihar State Information Commission.

When drafting your RTI for land records, be precise. Include:

• Khatian number
• Village name and Panchayat name
• Circle name and Block name
• District name
• The specific document or information you are requesting (e.g., certified copy of Jamabandi as on a specific date, Khesra register entry for a specific Khesra number, mutation register entry for a specific year)

Land Mutation in Bihar

Mutation is the process by which a change in land ownership — after a registered sale, inheritance, court decree, gift, or partition — is formally recorded in the revenue registers, so that the new owner's name appears in the Jamabandi. In Bihar, mutation is processed by the Circle Officer (CO). Until mutation is complete, the new owner's name is not in the official records, which creates problems for loans, further sales, and legal proceedings.

Mutation delays are extremely common in Bihar. RTI is one of the most effective tools to break the deadlock or document the delay for a subsequent legal challenge. You can ask:

• Current status of a specific mutation application (application number, date filed, which stage it is at)
• Reason for delay if the mutation has been pending beyond the prescribed period
• File noting showing which officer's desk it is currently on
• Whether any objections have been raised, by whom, and whether they have been heard
• A certified copy of the mutation order, if one has been passed

A well-targeted RTI naming the specific application and asking for file movement notes puts officials on notice that the delay is documented — which often accelerates processing more effectively than repeated counter visits.

CPIO: Circle Officer (CO) for the relevant circle. Second appeal: Bihar State Information Commission.

BSPHCL: Electricity Disputes in Bihar

The Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL) is the holding company for Bihar's electricity sector. It operates through two main distribution companies:

• NBPDCL (North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) — handles electricity distribution in districts north of the Ganga.
• SBPDCL (South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) — handles electricity distribution in districts south of the Ganga, including Patna.

Both NBPDCL and SBPDCL are state government public sector undertakings under BSPHCL. They are Bihar state bodies. Second appeals for RTI matters involving NBPDCL, SBPDCL, or BSPHCL go to the Bihar State Information Commission — not the CIC.

RTI applications to BSPHCL and its distribution companies are commonly used for:

• Disputed billing: Requesting the meter reading register for your connection for a specified period, the basis on which an estimated bill was raised, the formula used to calculate a retrospective demand, and any technical test reports for your meter.
• Meter tampering allegations: If the distribution company has charged you for alleged meter tampering or sealing violation, you have the right to ask for the inspection report, the name of the official who conducted the inspection, and the measurement records that formed the basis of the demand.
• New connection delays: Records of your application for a new connection or load extension — the date received, current status, any pending inspection, and the reason for delay if it has exceeded the prescribed period.
• Outage and transformer complaints: If you filed a complaint about a prolonged outage or a faulty transformer, RTI can produce the complaint register entry, the work order issued, the contractor details, and the date of resolution (or why it remains unresolved).
• Low voltage complaints: Records of technical measurements and the action taken in response to formal low voltage complaints from your area.

File with the CPIO at the relevant NBPDCL or SBPDCL Division Office that covers your area. For policy-level matters, the CPIO at BSPHCL's head office in Patna.

BPSC: Bihar Public Service Commission

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) conducts recruitment examinations for various posts in Bihar state services — the Bihar Civil Service examination (for posts like SDO, DSP, CO, and BDO), departmental recruitment exams, and various state-level competitive tests.

BPSC is a Bihar state constitutional body. Second appeals for RTI matters involving BPSC go to the Bihar State Information Commission.

RTI applications to BPSC are commonly used for:

• Marks in a specific examination: Your subject-wise marks in a BPSC exam, including marks in the written test, interview, and any practical component. Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, the CPIO must respond within 30 days, and Section 6(2) means you do not need to give a reason for asking.
• Answer keys: The official answer key used for evaluating a specific paper in a BPSC exam, including any corrections or revisions made after the initial publication.
• Merit list: The final merit list for a specific notification or post, including the category-wise cutoff marks.
• Selection procedure records: The criteria and process used for preparing the final select list, particularly where candidates allege arbitrariness or irregularity.
• Waiting list status: For candidates on a waiting list, the current position and whether the list is still active.

Note: while BPSC is a state body, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) — which also recruits for certain central services from Bihar — is a Central Government body (CIC on second appeal, file at rtionline.gov.in).

BRJP and PMAY-G in Bihar: Housing Scheme RTIs

The Bihar Rajya Jan Awas Parishad (BRJP) is the Bihar state housing body that develops and implements state housing schemes. For the rural housing scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G), implementation in Bihar is handled through district-level offices under the Rural Development Department — state implementation bodies.

Both BRJP and the district PMAY-G implementation offices are Bihar state bodies. Second appeals go to the Bihar State Information Commission.

Common RTI uses:

• BRJP scheme allotments: Application records, draw results, allotment letters, or the reason for cancellation or rejection of an application.
• PMAY-G beneficiary lists: The beneficiary list for a specific gram panchayat and financial year, the criteria applied for selecting beneficiaries, and whether your application was received and considered.
• Construction progress records: For a beneficiary who has received the first instalment but is waiting for the second, RTI can produce the inspection report by the Block Development Officer (BDO) or bank account verification records that are holding up the release.
• Rejection reasons: For applicants who were found ineligible or whose application was rejected without adequate communication, RTI for the specific reason with reference to the applicable selection criteria.

CPIO: For PMAY-G matters, the CPIO is typically the Programme Officer at the concerned Block Office, or the District Programme Coordinator at the district Rural Development Department office. For BRJP scheme matters, the CPIO is at BRJP's office.

Bihar Police and RTI

The Bihar Police is a state police force — it is not a Central Government body. RTI applications to Bihar Police (whether to a specific police station, the Superintendent of Police, DIG, or DGP office) are filed through the Bihar state RTI portal, and second appeals go to the Bihar State Information Commission, not the CIC.

Legitimate RTI use cases involving Bihar Police include:

• FIR copy: If you have registered an FIR and the police station is not giving you a copy, RTI is a formal channel. Provide the FIR number, year, and police station name. A copy of an FIR you registered is information you are legally entitled to.
• Action Taken Report (ATR): If you submitted a written complaint to a police station and no action has been taken for weeks, RTI for the complaint register entry and the ATR forces the station to account for its inaction in a documented, formal way.
• Complaint escalation records: If you escalated a complaint to the SP's or DIG's office, RTI for the file movement on that escalation is valid.
• Police station administrative records: Inspection reports, staff details (aggregate, not personal details exempt under the Act), and infrastructure-related information about a police station are not exempt from RTI.

Section 8(1)(h) exemption: Information whose disclosure would impede the process of investigation, apprehension, or prosecution of offenders is exempt under Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act. This means you cannot get the case diary of an ongoing investigation, the progress notes of an active inquiry, or witness statements in a pending criminal matter through RTI. The exemption is valid and routinely applied. However, administrative information about your complaint — whether it has been registered, what its current status is, whether any police officer has been assigned — is generally not covered by Section 8(1)(h) and is disclosable.

Do not confuse Bihar Police with bodies like the CBI, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), or CISF and CRPF units operating in Bihar — these are Central Government bodies where RTI goes via the Central Government portal and second appeals go to the CIC.

MGNREGS in Bihar: State Bodies, Despite Central Funding

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is funded by the Central Government but implemented at the ground level by Gram Panchayats and Block Development Officers (BDOs) under the Bihar state government's administration. For implementation-level records in Bihar, the CPIO is a state government officer, and second appeals go to the Bihar State Information Commission — not the CIC.

This is a common point of confusion. The Ministry of Rural Development in Delhi is a Central Government body (CIC on second appeal). But when you want to know about MGNREGS implementation in a specific gram panchayat in Bihar — job card records, muster rolls, wage payment details, works undertaken — you are dealing with Bihar state and local government bodies.

RTI at the MGNREGS level in Bihar is used for:

• Job card register: The complete list of job card holders in a village, the work assigned to each card holder in a financial year, and how many days of employment were provided.
• Muster rolls: Physical attendance records for a specific work in a specific financial year — who worked, on which days, whether the work supervisor's signature is present, and whether wage payments were processed.
• Wage payment records: Whether wages were disbursed to the job card holders, the dates of payment, and the amounts. Delays and diversions in MGNREGS wage payments are a major issue in Bihar.
• Social audit records: Reports of social audits conducted in your block or gram panchayat.
• Works register: The list of all MGNREGS works sanctioned in a block in a financial year, the estimated and actual cost, and the contractor or labour arrangement used.

CPIO: BDO (Block Development Officer) for block-level records; Gram Panchayat Secretary for village-level records. Second appeal: Bihar State Information Commission.

BRLPS / JEEViKA: Bihar's Rural Livelihoods Body

The Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS), operating under the brand name JEEViKA, is a state government society under the Bihar Rural Development Department. It implements the self-help group (SHG) programme in Bihar, promoting women-led economic groups and linking them to credit, training, and livelihood support.

JEEViKA is a Bihar state body. Second appeals for RTI matters involving BRLPS / JEEViKA go to the Bihar State Information Commission.

RTI applications to BRLPS are relevant for: records of grants or revolving funds disbursed to a specific SHG, the criteria for selecting and grading SHGs for benefits, training programme records, and the status of a complaint filed against a programme officer for misappropriation or misconduct at the block or district level.

Panchayati Raj Department: Rural Scheme Records

The Bihar Panchayati Raj Department oversees gram panchayats and the implementation of rural schemes at the panchayat level. The BDO and the District Programme Coordinator are the key CPIO-level contacts for rural scheme records.

Common RTI uses under Panchayati Raj:

• Records of 14th and 15th Finance Commission grants received by a specific gram panchayat and the expenditure head-wise utilisation.
• State government scheme implementation records at the gram panchayat level.
• Panchayat development index data and audit reports.

All Panchayati Raj Department bodies are Bihar state bodies — second appeal to the Bihar State Information Commission.

Central Government Bodies in Bihar: These Go to the CIC

Several important government bodies operate in Bihar but are Central Government public authorities. RTI for these bodies must be filed at rtionline.gov.in, and second appeals go to the CIC in Delhi — not the Bihar State Information Commission.

East Central Railway: The East Central Railway zone, headquartered in Hajipur, is a zonal railway under the Ministry of Railways. RTI for any railway-related matter — berth allotment, contractor records, station redevelopment, staff grievances — goes to the CPIO at the relevant Divisional Railway Manager's office. Second appeal: CIC.

Income Tax Department: The PCCIT (Patna) and its subordinate offices are Central Government bodies under the Ministry of Finance. RTI for income tax assessment orders, TDS demands, refund status: file at rtionline.gov.in, second appeal to CIC.

EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation): The Regional PF Commissioner's office in Patna and Muzaffarpur are Central Government bodies. RTI for PF account records, employer non-deposit records, claim status: rtionline.gov.in, CIC on second appeal.

IIT Patna and NIT Patna: Both are Central Government autonomous institutions under the Ministry of Education. RTI for admission records, exam marks, faculty selection: rtionline.gov.in, CIC on second appeal.

BSNL Bihar Circle: While BSNL has a significant presence in Bihar, it is a Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. RTI for BSNL billing, connection, or service matters in Bihar: rtionline.gov.in, CIC on second appeal.

Airports Authority of India (Patna Airport): AAI is a Central Government statutory body. RTI for airport operations, infrastructure contracts, or land matters at Patna airport: rtionline.gov.in, CIC on second appeal.

Customs and Central Excise: The CGST (Central Goods and Services Tax) and Customs Commissionerate in Patna are Central Government bodies. RTI: rtionline.gov.in, CIC.

Quick Reference Table: Which Body, Which Forum

Practical Tips for Filing RTI in Bihar

Specify land record details precisely. If your RTI touches land records, every identifying detail matters: Khatian number, village name, Panchayat name, Circle name, Block name, and district. Without these, the CPIO can say the record cannot be identified. The more specific your question, the less room there is for a vague or non-responsive answer.

File at the right level. Bihar's government hierarchy runs from the Gram Panchayat Secretary and Patwari through the Circle Officer, SDO, and Collector. For local land record or scheme matters, file with the CO or district office — not with Patna headquarters. Headquarters either transfers the application (consuming your 30-day window) or responds in generalities that do not address your specific situation.

Use the 30-day clock strategically. Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, the CPIO must respond within 30 days of receiving your application. Track the date of receipt, not just the date you sent it. If you are filing by post, allow a few days for delivery and keep your postal receipt as evidence of when you dispatched it. If you are filing online, note the submission date and acknowledgement number.

Be ready to file a First Appeal. Non-responses and partial responses are not uncommon in Bihar. The First Appeal under Section 19(1) must be filed within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision, or within 30 days of the expiry of the 30-day response period if you received no response at all. It goes to the First Appellate Authority — a senior officer within the same department, above the CPIO. Missing this deadline is a common mistake. Calendar it from the day you filed your RTI.

Keep copies of everything. File your RTI in writing, whether online or by post. Keep the acknowledgement receipt. Keep copies of your application, any response received, and your First Appeal. You will need this paper trail if the matter escalates to the Bihar SIC.

The 48-hour rule. Under the proviso to Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, if your RTI concerns information relating to the life or liberty of a person, the CPIO must respond within 48 hours. If you are seeking information about a detained person, an emergency health situation, or any matter with immediate life or safety implications, explicitly invoke Section 7(1) proviso in your application and state why the life or liberty of a person is at stake.

Section 8(1)(h) and police matters. Do not expect to receive investigation files, case diary entries, or information about witnesses in ongoing criminal matters. Section 8(1)(h) exempts information that would impede an active investigation. Your RTI to Bihar Police should be limited to administrative information — whether your complaint was registered, whether it has been assigned, what the current status is — rather than the investigative file itself.

Penalty provisions apply here too. A CPIO who fails to comply with RTI obligations without reasonable cause can face a penalty of ₹250 per day, up to a maximum of ₹25,000, under Section 20 of the RTI Act. The Bihar SIC can impose this penalty and recommend disciplinary action. Knowing this, and citing it when relevant in appeals, reminds officers that non-compliance has legal consequences.

A Note on the UPSC-vs-BPSC Distinction

A common confusion arises around recruitment examinations. BPSC (Bihar Public Service Commission) is a Bihar state body — second appeal to the Bihar SIC. UPSC (Union Public Service Commission), which recruits for IAS, IPS, IFS, and other central services (candidates from Bihar included), is a Central Government body — RTI at rtionline.gov.in, second appeal to the CIC. If you gave the BPSC 68th Combined exam, your RTI goes to the Bihar SIC route. If you gave the UPSC Civil Services exam, your RTI goes the CIC route.

Similarly, BSPHCL is a Bihar state body (Bihar SIC on second appeal), while BSNL operating in Bihar is a Central PSU (CIC on second appeal). Always ask: was this body created by state legislation or central legislation? Is it controlled by the Bihar government or by a central ministry?

The Bigger Picture

The Right to Information Act is as important in Bihar as it is anywhere in India — and given Bihar's development context, the density of its population, and the scale of government schemes implemented here, the potential for RTI to protect people's rights and interests is substantial. Whether it is a farmer in Bhojpur trying to establish that a mutation was passed in someone else's name without notice, a construction worker in Bhagalpur whose MGNREGS wages were never credited, a job applicant from Darbhanga questioning a BPSC mark sheet discrepancy, or a household in Muzaffarpur disputing a wildly inflated NBPDCL bill — RTI is the formal legal mechanism that puts a 30-day deadline on the government.

The law is the same across all of India. In Bihar, getting results sometimes requires persistence — a First Appeal followed, if necessary, by a Second Appeal to the Bihar SIC. But the tools are the same, the rights are the same, and Section 20 penalties for wilful non-compliance apply equally to every CPIO in every Bihar government office.

Filing an RTI in Bihar — whether for land records, a power distribution dispute, a scheme beneficiary list, or a recruitment exam — requires knowing the right authority, the right portal, and how to frame specific questions. RTISathi.com has department-specific guides, sample RTI drafts for common situations, and step-by-step filing tools to help Bihar residents get the information they are legally entitled to. A well-drafted, correctly addressed RTI application is the starting point — and RTISathi makes putting one together straightforward.