SMBR gives insight into BoR reforms

LAHORE: The Punjab Board of Revenue has decided to restore old land revenue system to the province.

Tehsildar, Patwar, Lambardar and Chowkidar system will be restored by the Board of Revenue with the help of modern technology. Institution of Lambardars in Punjab province would be revitalized as Lambradar has important place in rural areas. According to Babar Hayyat Tarar, Senior Member of Board of Revenue, the number of teachers in government schools, attendance of teachers, details of child labour will be recorded online at Patwar and Tehsildar levels. He said that data about all family members, including men, women and children, will also be available online portal of revenue.

Recommendations have been prepared to make Patwari's basta/bag online. Patwari's red book, revenue registers and deposits will be transferred to e-technology. Details of agricultural lands, animals and crops in rural areas will be uploaded on the relevant tehsildar online portal, said the SMBR.

The decision to amend the transfer of Lambardari is being taken. In case of death of Lambardar, Lambraddari will be given to a respectable, influential and competent person. Restoration of watchman system has been also approved to maintain law and order in the area. Details of the suspected person will be uploaded on the Revenue Portal, shared Babar Hayyat Tarar. The Senior Member Board of Revenue has given the task to PITB to make the system online. Only officials concerned, including Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, could access all the information on the online portal. Reformation in the institution is a continuous process. Earlier, former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif had launched Land Records Management Information System (LRMIS) to computerise the land records.

PLRA had contributed to reduced costs, increased transparency, reduced transaction time and improved good governance. Furthermore, Shahbaz Sharif wanted to abolish Patwari system by promoting Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) in the province. People used to complaint about the patwaries that they temper with the records. So the decision was taken by the then chief minister to computerize the land records. Now, the BoR has decided to revitalize Tehsildar, Patwar, Lambardar and Chowkidar system, so that administrative tasks could be completed by keeping weather records, collecting crop harvest information, reporting crimes, and updating the voter registry.