Muzaffarpur, Bihar: In the Ufrauli village of Kataiya Panchayat, tension has been brewing over the order of the Bihar Government for allegedly permitting the construction of a cricket ground over a decades-old cemetery.
The notice accessed by The Observer Post, states that the letter has been issued by the Circle Officer of Katra, Muzaffarpur and approves the allocation of government land (Plot No. 188) in Kataiya Panchayat for the construction of a cricket playground. The letter, referencing prior correspondence from the District Rural Development Officer, confirms the suitability of the land and grants permission for the project.
The Sarpanch of Kataiya panchayat, Mohammad Khursheed Alam said that the Government under the Khelo India initiative 2025 wants to construct playgrounds in every panchayat of Bihar.
“Some village heads agreed to the construction of the playgrounds as a good number of plots under the Bihar government land are available for the same. But somehow there are people who are adamant that the playground will be constructed on the graveyard” says Khursheed
In 1893-94, a survey was conducted as part of the Cadastral Survey initiated by the British colonial administration. This effort aimed to map and record detailed information about every land parcel in the region. These years are frequently mentioned in old khatiyan (land records) and maps.
Khursheed adds, “In the old khatiyan, the land was registered as a graveyard under the Bihar government land. However, in the new survey conducted in 1962, all mosques, temples, graveyards, and cremation grounds were categorized as Bihar government land. Some of these areas were specifically mentioned by their public names, while others were left out, and this graveyard is one of them. This was an error in the survey.”
The Bihar government now wants to turn the cemetery into a playground, but it is difficult to understand how this can be done.
Khursheed said how a petition had been submitted to the DM who visited the village on 14th January to check out the graveyard. A decision has been taken that no work will be done until a final decision is made.
“There’s plenty of empty land that could be turned into playgrounds instead,” says the concerned Sarpanch. “The real issue is that we shouldn’t disrupt areas where there’s social harmony and peace. This push to convert a graveyard into a playground seems like a political move.”
The ownership details of the land are traced across three documents the reporter accessed: Kabristan Khatiyan Uphruali Purana, Kabristan Khatiyan Uphruali Naya, and Trase Naksha Aur Tulnatmak Naksha. The old record (Purana) identifies plot 188 with historical ownership and use, while the new record (Naya) updates it as plot 1835. The Trase Naksha Aur Tulnatmak Naksha links these records, confirming that plot 188 entirely transitioned to plot 1835 with minor adjustments in size (1 acre 56 decimals to 1 acre 50 decimals).
Aftab Alam, a former candidate for MLA elections 2020 from the Communist Part of India (Marxist-Leninist), Aurai constituency, has alleged that the ongoing dispute over a 100-year-old graveyard is politically motivated, with elections approaching in 2025.
Aftab explained that in 2017-18, the village committee had used government funds to fill and level the land, to improve the existing graveyard.
Aftab pointed out that the government could have easily avoided the controversy. “To stir up tensions, the local MLA and panchayat head—both from the BJP—are deliberately targeting this land,” Aftab alleges. “There’s a 12-acre vacant piece of government land nearby. If they wanted a playground, why can’t they use that?”
To address the issue, the District Magistrate had set up a committee with officials, including the SDO, SDM, and CO, to investigate the matter. Aftab said that he and other villagers have shown the officials old documents proving the land’s historical use as a graveyard.
“This isn’t just happening here,” Aftab said. He mentioned similar issues in other villages, such as Basant under Bandhpura panchayat, Aghari under Tewara panchayat, and Kokilwara under Rajkhand Uttari. He noted that these places have also seen disputes over land used for community purposes.
Aftab says the issue is with the government, but there’s a clear attempt to turn it into a communal matter. He alleges that the BJP’s current MLA is behind this, trying to stir tensions with elections just around the corner.
