Patna, Aug. 29: The state government today directed the district officials to accord priority to disposal of land disputes, which have gained alarming proportions in the past few years.

The directive was issued to the district magistrates and the superintendents of police at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to review law and order and development works in the state on Friday.

Briefing reporters after the review meeting, which concluded around 7.30pm, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said the DMs and the SPs have been told to dispose of cases of land dispute with sincerity.

“The officials have been asked to carry out inspection of the offices of their subordinates on a regular basis to set things right. Rosters should be made for the inspection of the offices of the subordinates in the districts,” said chief secretary Singh.

The data compiled by the state police headquarters revealed that around 40-45 per cent murders took place in the state owing to land or property disputes. “Land disputes have become a major problem for the law and order machinery in the state,” said Singh.

He said the chief minister Manjhi considered that Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe members were the worst victims of such disputes. “The results of the inspection of the officers of subordinates should be analysed at the top-level,” he said.

To reduce the land dispute cases, the block development officers, circle officers and the station house officers should meet at least once a month. Similarly, the DMs should spend a night in a village under their jurisdiction at least once in every two months to know things in a better way, he said.