GUJRAT: The district government has formally sought tehsil status for Jalalpur Jattan city purely on administrative grounds since running the administrative as well as law and order affairs of Gujrat tehsil has become a source of inconvenience for the local administration.

Official sources say the district coordination officer had already forwarded the case for Jalalpur Jattan tehsil, which will consist of at least four police stations and three qanungo (revenue circles).

The population of proposed areas for the new tehsil is around 461,840 according to the 1998 census which has increased by now. The total area of the proposed tehsil is said to be around 149,518 acres covering at least 254 revenue estates (villages) and 52 patwar circles.

A senior district government official said the case for getting the status of tehsil for Jalalpur city was ideal not only for its administration but also for the economic uplift of this area.

The district administration had first pleaded the case for getting status of tehsil for Jalalpur Jattan in 1993 when Phalia and Mandi Bahauddin were separated from Gujrat after the award of district status to Mandi Bahauddin. Moreover, Sara-i-Alamgir had been given the status of tehsil but it was attached to Jhelum district rather than making it a part of Gujrat. However, Sara-i-Alamgir tehsil was re-attached to Gujrat district through an administrative order in 1998 by the Punjab government as its people had agitated for becoming a part of the district.

The case had been pleaded again by the then district commissioner in July 2000, but to no avail.

This time, the district administration seemed hopeful for achieving the goal, as according to official as well as political circles, the PML-N government could strengthen its footing in the area by doing so.

The proposed Jalalpur Jattan tehsil will be created after bifurcating existing areas of Gujrat tehsil, which was the biggest with 65 union councils and two municipal committees.

The new tehsil will comprise at least 25 union councils and a municipal committee, which will be bigger than that of Sara-i-Alamgir tehsil that consists of only nine rural union councils and a municipal committee of the city.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play