GUJRAT: The Punjab government is now going to establish Dehi Markaz Maal (DMM) at the patwar circle level across the province where patwaris will be posted to deliver land revenue and emergency services.

Earlier, the DMMs were established at the Qanoongoi level by the present government. The centres have officially been named as village emergency/loss of livelihood reporting and revenue facilitation centres.

According to a letter issued on June 29, the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) has directed all the deputy commissioners in Punjab to establish the DMMs at rural patwar cricle level to facilitate people at their doorstep.

The DCs have been asked to identify suitable buildings to establish the centres.Official sources said the establishment of DMMs by posting patwaris is the brainchild of the senior member board of revenue to gradually replace the field staff of the Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) at the Arazi Record Centres (ARCs) as hundreds of patwaris are being recruited in all tehsils.

Initially, the patwaris and clerical staff of the land revenue department were appointed at the qanoongoi level DMMs. The Board of Revenue (BoR) has already announced to recruit computer literate patwaris for the revenue estate (village) level DMMs as the ARCs established earlier at the tehsil and town level where PLRA’s field staff would deliver the services of computerised land record system.

The PLRA chairman and field staff association had earlier expressed their reservations on the establishment of DMMs and recruitment of patwaris for the computerised service delivery at DMMs.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has ordered the BoR to regularise the services of assistant directors of land record who were recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission a few years ago but still working on an ad hoc basis.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2021