Farmer groups in Patna question Bihar's 11 satellite township plan and the 2026 City Development Act

What the farmer groups said

At the Patna press conference, the Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson and farmer leader Dinesh Singh said their members want growth but will oppose any model that costs agricultural land and the economic security of farm families.

The groups asked the government to publish details of the proposed land acquisition or pooling, the master plans and the land-use patterns. They also asked for a transparent valuation method to close the gap between official circle rates and actual market values.

The organisations asked whether safeguards under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and Bihar's land acquisition rules would still apply to land brought under the Bihar City Development Act, 2026. They specifically named social impact assessment, consent, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement.

In a separate statement reported by PTI on 7 October, the BKU called the state's recent land laws draconian, called for the City Development Act to be repealed, and proposed smart villages as an alternative. Tikait said the campaign would continue and announced gatherings in Nawada and Khagaria.

Proposed land-use split in the pooling model

According to the material presented at the press conference, pooled land could be divided as follows: up to 22% for roads, 15% for sale by the designated planning authority or an eligible developer, 5% for parks, playgrounds, gardens, schools and hospitals, 3% for housing for economically weaker sections, and 55% returned to landowners.

These figures come from the farmer groups' reading of the material. I found no official approved document that sets this split, so treat it as a proposal under discussion.

Where the township plan stands (as of October 2026)

The state cabinet approved the development of 11 greenfield satellite townships on 22 April 2026 and imposed a ban on land sale, transfer, development and building construction in the designated zones, as reported by PTI.

On 17 June 2026 the cabinet approved a mechanism allowing the government to buy land in the township areas and to lease or sell acquired land to investors for projects approved by the State Investment Promotion Board. Landowners may also sell to the government in cases of family crisis or major expense.

An April 2026 report said the state split the townships into two groups for master planning: Group 1 by 31 March 2027 and Group 2 by 30 June 2027. The same report said a draft plan was expected in October to November 2026. I could not confirm whether that draft has been released.

Reports also say the dispute has reached the Patna High Court. I could not find the court's order or a government reply to the farmers' questions in the sources I reviewed.

The 11 townships and their names

Reports list the townships with alternate names. Group 1 includes Pataliputra (Patna), Hariharnathpur (Sonepur), Magadh (Gaya), Mithila (Darbhanga), Ang (Munger), Purnea, and Koshi (Saharsa). Group 2 includes Vikramshila (Bhagalpur), Tirhut (Muzaffarpur), Saran (Chhapra), and Sitapuram (Sitamarhi).

The farmer groups' press release lists the cities as Patna, Darbhanga, Chhapra, Sonpur, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Purnea, Sitamarhi, Munger and Saharsa. Pataliputra, Magadh and the other names are the township labels used in government-linked reports.

Other state financing decisions

Separate cabinet decisions in 2026 cover wider urban finance. One approved a proposal to sign an MoU with HUDCO for up to Rs 1 lakh crore in long-term financing for greenfield townships. Another gave in-principle approval to a World Bank-supported Bihar Urban Transformation Program with a US$500 million loan. These decisions are not part of the farmers' press conference, but they bear on how the townships will be funded.

What is not yet known

The sources do not answer whether the 2013 land acquisition safeguards will apply to land under the Bihar City Development Act, 2026. I also did not confirm the Act's commencement status.

No official township-wise area figures appear in the sources I could verify. One headline in a Patnapress listing refers to an 81,730-acre Pataliputra township plan, but I could not check that figure against an official document, so it is not used here.

What happens next

• The farmer organisations gave the government about a month to respond to their demands. They warned of a march in Patna in November if the demands are not met.
• The draft plan was expected in October to November 2026, and master plans are due by March and June 2027 under the April timetable.
• The Patna High Court case and any government reply on the 2013 Act safeguards are still open.