GUJRAT: The Punjab government’s board of revenue has directed the Gujrat district administration to wind up all the settlement operations including that of abolition of the posts created for the purpose in the district till Aug 31.

Under the fresh direction, the posts of settlement officer, extra assistant settlement officers (EASOs), tehsildar (settlement), stenographers, patwaris, qanoongos, clerical staff and other junior staffers will be abolished and most of the staff may be sent to the surplus pool of the services and general administration department (S&GAD).

Though the local land revenue department had declared the process of settlement as completed in November 2014, the office of the settlement officer remained functional to hear the appeals by the litigants against the settlement.

Posts of settlement officer, EASOs, tehsildar, patwaris, others to be abolished

However, some 115 staffers mostly the patwaris and other junior staff that was recruited under the contract [purely] for the settlement purpose may also get adjusted to the land revenue department as the district administration has requested the respective authorities to transfer the services of these employees to the disposal of the district instead of surrendering all of them to the surplus pool.

Official sources told Dawn that the deputy commissioner had referred the matter to Gujrat Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) ADCR Rani Hifsa Kanwal to prepare a proposal to adjust most of the employees required for the land revenue and other departments after which the proposal would be sent to the BoR and other concerned authorities for a [formal] approval.

The settlement process was launched by the then Punjab chief minister in 2002 in his home district of Gujrat as well as in Lahore. The process in Gujrat had to be completed in 2007 but it took at least 16 years to complete.

The provincial government had posted a separate grade 18/19 officer as settlement officer at the district level as well as the EASOs and tehsildar (settlement) at the tehsil level; however in 2014 when the settlement operation was declared completed, the charge of settlement officer and EASOs was given to either the deputy commissioner or the ADCR and assistant commissioners concerned, respectively.

It merits mentioning that the first-ever settlement of the land revenue record in Gujrat district was held in 1857 after the area came under the control of the British whereas the second and third settlements were held in 1868 and 1891, respectively. The last settlement was held in the district between 1911 and 1915, prior to the start of the fresh one in 2002.

At least 26 revenue estates falling in the [urban] areas of Gujrat city, Jalalpur Jattan, Lalamusa, Dinga, Kharian and Sara-i-Alamgir had been exempted from settlement on the orders of the Punjab government since the areas had been congested due to urbanisation which made it impossible for the staff to do the settlement. However, the periodical register of the land record of the 26 revenue estates had been updated after 12 years since it could not be maintained every four years which was a legal formality.

There are 540 revenue estates (villages) in Gujrat, 433 in Kharian and 111 in Sara-i-Alamgir tehsils whereas the Patwar circles of these tehsils have also been increased [after the settlement].

An official of the land revenue department said the pending cases in the court of settlement officer would also be transferred to [the court of district collector for further hearing.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2018