BoR issues plan for recruitment of patwaries

LAHORE:The Board of Revenue has issued a comprehensive plan for the recruitment of new patwaries in the province.

The authority to make appointments has been given to the divisional commissioners instead of the Punjab Public Service Commission while the assistant commissioners concerned have been appointed as the heads of the appointment committee formed at the tehsil level. Sources in Board of Revenue told this scribe that the parliamentarians would be obliged and their blue-eyed would be recruited on the posts of patwaries across the Punjab. There was no need to recruit patwaries as Punjab Land Record Authority is working very well, said an official on the condition of anonymity. Additionally, the PLRA field staff also expressed grave concern over the resumption of the role of patwaries in the revenue estate level. PLRA was issuing fard without taking any kind of bribe while patwari had promoted culture of bribe in the department, alleged an official in the department.

Malik Muhammad Anwar, provincial minister for revenue, rejected the allegations, terming them baseless and said no one would be recruited on the recommendation of politicians. According to him, recruitments would be made purely on merit.

There would be zero political interference, said Muhammad Anwar while talking to the scribe. He said no MPA would approach any officer for the appointment of patwaries. Everything would be done on merit according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, said the minister for revenue.

Three officers along with the assistant commissioner concerned have been appointed as members of the appointment committee as per the policy of the Board of Revenue. At least ICS degree, short hand, typing and computer skills are mandatory for a candidate to qualify for the post while 5 per cent quota has been allotted to minorities. A notification has also been issued to the committee regarding resolving issues in case of complaints in appointments. The Board of Revenue has forwarded the documents regarding the new policy to the deputy commissioners across the province.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to computerise all the record of land and buildings to eradicate forgery and manipulation by patwaris while the record of buildings will be linked to the Survey of Pakistan. Patwaris will be given computers. Khasra numbers and record of all boundaries of buildings will be computerised. Patwari will computerise all records instead of paper records.