GUJRAT: The district administration has sought more time from the Board of Revenue to wind up the land revenue settlement operations in the district as the BoR had given Aug 31st deadline for completion of the task that was originally scheduled to be completed 16 years back in 2007.

Gujrat deputy commissioner has formally sought at least six more months so that all the ongoing settlement operations in the district could be completed.

According to sources, the DC has sought the time because a lot of work was yet to be done to complete the land settlement operations. They said if left incomplete, it could create complications, particularly for the land owners.

In a letter to the Gujrat administration, the BoR had ordered winding up of the operations and abolition of all the posts created for the purpose on contract basis. The board had also ordered that the contractual staff of the settlement section in the local land revenue department should be transferred to the surplus pool of the service and general administration department.

DC Tauseef Dilshad Khatana told Dawn that he had recommended to the BoR to not to wind up the settlement operations till the completion of procedural work which might take a few more months.

He said the Punjab government had recently handed over additional charge of settlement officer to the newly-posted Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Malik Ghazanfar Awan, who would also hold the court to hear the land settlement cases. The officer holding the charge previously, was transferred as part of the reshuffle ahead of July 25 polls.

The posts of settlement officer, extra assistant settlement officers (EASOs), tehsildar (settlement), stenographers, patwaris, qanoongos, clerical staff and other junior staffers had been created for the settlement of land revenue.

The land settlement process was launched by the then chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in 2002 in his home district (Gujrat) as well as in Lahore. The process in Gujrat district had to be completed in 2007.

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 one started 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 since the areas had turned so congested that it was deemed impossible for the staff to carry out the process there.

The periodical register of the land record of these 26 revenue estates had been updated after 12 years since it could not be maintained after every four years which was a legal requirement.

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].

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2018