GUJRAT: Settlement of land revenue record started here around a decade ago is likely to be completed within a month.

Settlement of some 1,068 out of the total 1,084 revenue estates (villages) had so far been completed whereas computerisation of the record was underway but at a snail’s pace.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Liaquat Ali Chattha said he was hopeful of completion of the computerisation within the next three months instead of the stipulated time of Dec 31.

The Punjab government had taken notice of delay in the process six months ago. The then DCO Asif Bilal Lodhi had sought until December to complete it.

However, the process was still incomplete and going on at a slow pace.

Even after exclusion of 50 revenue estates from the settlement process a few months back that were either located within the urban population or suburban areas, the authorities concerned could not get the task done.

As per official data, computerisation of land record of at least 467 villages out of the total 1,084 had so far been completed and the updated record would be linked with the Punjab government’s online database.

DCO Chattha said the revenue department had been working expeditiously and hopefully the process would help eradicate corruption in the department after computerisation of the land record.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014