Lahore: The Punjab government has issued directions to all divisional commissioners under its jurisdiction to partially reintroduce the patwari system across the province, according to news sources. As per the publication, this initiative is intended to assist the region’s district administrations to overcome any obstacles it may face in its daily functions.
The
previous government had reintroduced the British era’s patwari system and constituted the Punjab Land Record Authority
(PLRA), which was aimed at digitizing land records in the province.
As per the sources, the Board of Revenue (BoR) has asked the divisional commissioners to allocate two qanoon gois (revenue circles) per district; after which patwaris and tehsildars will be appointed.
Traditionally,
patwaris possessed some 17 registers,
including records of “Intiqalat, Khasra Gurdawri, Haqdaraan Zamindar, and Field Book”
among other details. While patwaris
might have a low-grade in the official rankings, they are still quite vital for
the maintenance of land records.
Punjab Revenue Minister Malik Muhammad Anwar revealed that the incumbent government plans to open 115 new Arzi Record Centres — with 50 buildings already constructed. He further stated that 90% of the province’s land records have already been computerised.
However, Director General
Punjab PLRA Moazam Sipra stated that no final decision had been taken on the
matter, and that the reintroduction of the patwari
system would be limited to specific circles. The expansion of their role
will be assessed in the coming 3-4 months, based on their performance in
addressing the flaws in the present revenue system.
Hazafa reveres the art of writing and has been turned into a property enthusiast by profession. Her daily survival kit includes; tea, coffee, keyboard and paperbacks.
