RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR) has asked the Rawalpindi district revenue department to computerise up to 90pc land record by January 15.

The senior member of BoR, Nadeem Ashraf, on Monday visited four districts – Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum – in Rawalpindi Division to review progress on land record computerisation. It was found that Rawalpindi district was too slow compared to the other three districts.

The Punjab government has started computerisation of land record under the project ‘Land Record Management Information System (LRMIS)’ which was being financed by the World Bank.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed informed the senior member that Jhelum and Attock had managed to shift 91 per cent work on the computer while Chakwal district 90 per cent. Land records in both districts would soon be available online.

However, he said, Rawalpindi district had computerised 83 per cent of the land record. He cited various reasons for the delay, including opposition from the Patwaris.

Patwaris’ resentment among factors blamed for slow pace of work

The senior member was dissatisfied with the performance of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) and asked it to complete 90 per cent work by January 15.

After the computerisation, people will get the copy of ‘Jama Bandi’ and ‘Fard’ (record of rights and periodical records) online from the facilitation centre set up at district courts in Rawalpindi and Rawat for Rs10 only.

The computerised record cannot be altered as it was being uploaded on website in picture format.

Rawalpindi district has land record of a total of 1,231 moauzas (villages), including 352 in Rawalpindi, 384 in Gujar Khan, 160 in Kahuta, 106 in Kallar Syedan, 58 in Kotli Sattian, 54 in Taxila and 115 in Murree.

A senior official of the CDGR told Dawn that the land record computerisation was slow in Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Kotli Sattian and Kallar Syedan tehsils of Rawalpindi district.

“Though the revenue officials (Patwaris) are against the computerisation, there are other factors including political interference and missing of the land record,” he said.

When contacted, Commissioner Zahid Saeed admitted that the computerisation of land revenue record was slow. He said some of the Patwaris were against the computerisation.

The commissioner said they would try to meet the deadline, and the CDGR had been asked to present work plan as early as possible.

He said the revenue department would complete the work as the provincial government was committed to shifting all the land revenue record on computer.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2014