RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi district is likely to get four more tehsils, taking the total number of subdistricts in Rawalpindi from seven to 11, following a notification by the Punjab government.

According to the new plan, the government will bifurcate the Rawalpindi City, Saddar and Cantonment tehsils, increasing their number from three to six.

Similarly, the Gujar Khan tehsil will be split and its part Daultala with a population of 200,000 will become a separate tehsil.

At present, Rawalpindi has seven tehsils - Rawalpindi City, Saddar, Cantonment, Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan and Taxila. After the formation of new tehsils, the district will have 11 tehsils. A senior district administration official told Dawn that by establishing new tehsils, the people would get better civic amenities. They would not need to visit the district administration offices or land revenue offices in Raja Bazaar or Rawat, he added.

He said the population of Rawalpindi tehsils had increased manifold and the existing staff was insufficient to cater to the needs of residents. He said new tehsils would facilitate people, adding that the Land Revenue Department would be able to maintain the record and stop illegal construction in the urban areas.

He said three points had been highlighted in the proposal submitted to the Punjab Board of Revenue for the creation of new tehsils. These points revolved around the population, land revenue limits, and the limits of police stations to maintain the law and order situation in these areas.

On the other hand, an official from the Land Revenue Department official said that the district administration had already sent the proposal to split Gujar Khan into two tehsils. The official said the case for the Daultala tehsil was still with the Punjab Board of Revenue and if approved a notification would be issued by the provincial government.

He said during a visit to Rawalpindi on August 19, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz gave a green signal to increase the number of assistant commissioners in Rawalpindi and Lahore. He said that five new tehsils would be created in Lahore and after this, the work on such a scheme would be started in Rawalpindi.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that the initial work had been started to establish new tehsils in the district to improve the operations of the land revenue department and facilitate people at their doorsteps.

He said that after new tehsils, the assistant commissioners, tehsildar, and relevant officials would be appointed, adding that the decision would reduce the workload in the land revenue offices and people would get land records without any hurdle or delay. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has already given permission to appoint more assistant commissioners for the new tehsils.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2024