RAWALPINDI: Despite the passage of three years and the change of at least five commissioners, the authorities have failed to digitise the land revenue records of Rawalpindi district, jumping at least eight deadlines in the process.

In order to obtain accurate land records, digital ‘girdawari’ (inspection of rural areas to ascertain land and crop records) is necessary to ascertain crops and structures in the villages as it would also help curtail land-grabbing.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that for the first time in the province, the process of “digital girdawari” was underway and claimed that more than 10 million mutations of property documents (which contain records of land transfer) had been computerised. He said that as per the land revenue act, ‘girdawari’ had to be conducted twice a year but due to the changes in the Patwari system, it could not be conducted for the last few years.

After lapse of eight deadlines, commissioner asks officials to get it done by June 30

He said that during ‘girdawari’, the land revenue officials check the status of rural land, the number of tube wells installed, the variety of crops, and whether or not it was being used for commercial purposes. He said that in the absence of digital records, people were facing problems, especially regarding the transfer of inherited land.

‘Incomplete task’

Meanwhile, the task of completing the revenue record of Rawalpindi was limited to slogans. Over the last three years, five commissioners gave eight deadlines to complete the task but the land revenue department still failed to complete it.

Divisional Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha gave another deadline to complete the digital Girdawari by June 30 but it does not look likely the district administration and revenue officials would be able to complete the task, given the sluggish progress of their work.

As far as Rawalpindi tehsil is concerned, it was divided into three revenue tehsils to improve revenue matters, but only one tehsildar is overseeing the revenue matters, defeating the purpose of the entire exercise.

According to the official record, the Rawalpindi tehsil lags behind other tehsils of the district in terms of land record. Out of the total 321,334 khasras (number allocated to the land unit) in Rawalpindi tehsil, the officials have managed to complete work on 310,810 i.e. 96 per cent. While in Taxila, Gujar Khan, and Kalar Syedan, 99 per cent of work is completed.

According to officials, the commissioner appointed a special team to finalise the incomplete revenue records. He also instructed deputy commissioners to suspend patwaris whose land record was not completed. It seems the deputy commissioners conveniently ignored the orders.

On Saturday, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chattha directed that Digital Girdawari in Rawalpindi district should be completed by June 30. He directed all the assistant commissioners to directly supervise the work to finish it on a priority basis.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2023