SC tells BoR to devise system for Mukhtiarkars’ evaluation

Karachi

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed a senior official of the board of revenue (BoR) to devise a mechanism to evaluate competency of Mukhtiarkars appointed throughout the province while hearing a petition regarding wrongful utilisation of land in Khairpur.

Officers found to be incompetent were ordered to be removed from their posts. The directives were given by a two-member bench of the SC, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim.

Petitioner Mohammad Safdar and others had approached the court against the utilisation of their land for the purpose of a jail and police station by the provincial government.

At the outset of the hearing, the concerned Mukhtiarkar appeared before the court to answer queries regarding the utilization of the land in question under revenue laws; however, he failed to satisfy the court with his explanation.

The court also asked him of the duties expected to be performed by a Mukhtiarkar and whether he had passed the necessary examination and had undergone the required training before being posted. Turned out the Mukhtiarkar was not aware of his duties and replied in the negative to the court’s queries.

A notice was then issued to BoR’s senior member to explain the level of competency of officers in the revenue department, to which the BoR official conceded that Mukhtiarkars who had not undergone training did not know much about their duties and functions at the department.

The official was asked to explain how incompetent men made their way to a post as important as the Mukhtiarkars.

The bench directed BoR official to devise a mechanism to evaluate competency of Mukhtiarkars and make examining the service record of the Mukhtiakar a part of the mechanism, further observing that all incompetent Mukhtiarkars be removed from their posts after being put through the test and competent officers be hired in their place.