GUJRAT, Jan 10: A tug-of-war between the Kharian deputy district officer revenue and the Anjuman-i-Patwarian over suspension of two patwaris on charges of embezzlement in the distribution of subsidised flour bags has created immense problems for the public.

DDO (revenue) Rae Manzoor Nasir had on Nov 26 last suspended from service two Lalamusa circle patwaris, Muhammad Shahbaz and Muhammad Ashraf, for their alleged involvement in appropriation of subsidised flour bags for the Sasti Roti Scheme initiated by the Punjab government. The DDO also ordered an inquiry against the patwaris.

The patwaris, however, united and boycotted the office much to the annoyance of the people who depend upon them for various land-related issues. Eventually, the district administration had to restore the suspended patwaris and the inquiry into alleged embezzlement is yet to be initiated. Besides restoration of the patwaris, the Anjuman-i-Patwarian (Kharian chapter), later joined in by the district chapter, demanded immediate transfer of the DDO.

Sources told Dawn that Gujrat DCO Sardar Akram Javed, EDO (revenue) Akbar Khan and District Officer (revenue) Khawar Kamal held negotiations with the patwaris who, however, remained adamant. This made DO Khawar Kamal restore both the patwaris through an order on Dec 6, 2008, and appoint Gujrat tehsil’s DDO (revenue) Rao Pervez to inquire into alleged embezzlement of the flour bags.

The Anjuman-i-Patwarian of Kharian announced on Dec 17 that it would end the strike on the condition that DDO Rae Manzoor would either get himself transferred or be transferred by the higher authorities within a month and until then the patwaris would continue boycott of the office and court of the DDO.

The patwaris also warned the district administration that if the DDO was not transferred in a month, the strike would spread to the entire Gujranwala division and then at the Punjab level.

The administration, sources said, also assured the patwaris that no action would be taken against those suspected of having embezzled flour bags but the ‘powerful group’ was not willing to acquiesce in to the demands.

As the patwaris have not been appearing before the DDO revenue, hundreds of cases and inquiries into the complaints against the patwaris are pending and the general public is suffering. The situation has prompted the people concerned to unite in the form of Anjuman-i-Mutasareen-i-Patwarian, who are all support for the DDO revenue.

Meanwhile, some political forces – workers of the PML-N, the PPP and the Jamaat-i-Islami -- plus Kharian trader’s association too have jumped into the arena and pledged support to Rae Manzoor. They described the patwaris as land mafia and urged Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to intervene and resolve the issue.

DDO (revenue) of Gujrat Rao Pervez, the inquiry officer, told Dawn that he had yet to receive the file and this had delayed the inquiry process. He said he had written twice to the Kharian DDO revenue to hand over the file, but the demand was yet to be fulfilled.

DDO revenue Rae Manzoor Nasir said no-one had asked him to give the file concerned, adding he was more than willing to hand over the file to the inquiry officer. He said he was ready to face any consequence, but would not compromise on his principled stand against the ‘patwari mafia’.

According to him, he had tried his level best to make the Sasti Roti Scheme successful and ensure transparency in the distribution of the subsidised flour bags.