GUJRAT: In what seems to be a silent move, the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) levied extra charges on all kinds of services at Arazi Record Centres (ARCs) across Punjab last month.

In August, Rs350 per service have been levied in order to what respective authorities say to meet heavy expenditure and salaries of PLRA staff.

It merits mentioning that these service charges are being collected on taxes levied by Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR).

A fard for record earlier would cost the visitor Rs50 [which is a BoR fee], PLRA is now charging Rs350 for fard (real estate ownership document) at almost 147 ARCs across the province.

Many officials were not aware of the [newly imposed] charges and they came to know when the visitors complained to them and protested against the [additional] fee.

“In order to pay salaries of some 7,000 employees of PLRA, and monthly budget of Rs250,000 per centre, the authority has taken the step,” said an official working at an ARC.

PLRA is [working in a corporate style] a semi-autonomous body under the flag name of BoR, having its own hierarchy of officers with hefty salaries at the head office.

Furthermore, the authority has also been charging Nadra fees for verification of the identity documents of every visitor requiring the fard.

Farmers have urged the Punjab chief minister and other respective authorities to look into the matter of enhancing the charges at ARCs.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2018