Illegal entries in revenue, forest records
*Regular inspection of records remains least priority
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 27: Majority of the Deputy Commissioners in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have been focusing only on rectification or cancellation of illegal entries in the revenue and forest records but no action is being recommended or taken against the errant officials, which otherwise is imperative to have deterrent effect.
“There is a common practice in almost all the districts of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir about rectification or cancellation of illegal entries in the revenue and forest records whenever the same come to the notice of Deputy Commissioners or other authorities through formal complaints from the aggrieved people but required attention is not being paid towards initiation of proceedings to punish the guilty Government servants”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
This is notwithstanding the fact that Deputy Commissioners are competent to order inquiry against such officials and on the completion of same make necessary recommendations about punishment to the competent authorities, sources said while disclosing that large number of rectifications in the records have been carried out in several districts during the past few years but action in only few cases has been taken.
“Due to non-initiation of inquiry and subsequent action the errant officials remain unpunished even after making wrong entries in the records in connivance with the beneficiaries for pecuniary benefits”, they further said, adding “even no seriousness is being paid towards inspection of revenue and forest records after regular intervals despite repeated instructions in this regard from the Government and other relevant quarters”.
It is pertinent to mention here that regular administrative inspections at different levels is imperative to check interpolations, cuttings, insertions and changes in the entries in the revenue record with ulterior motives.
“Merely waiting for the formal complaints to act in respect of illegal entries is not going to bring major change and inspection of the records as per the standing instructions is imperative for making revenue record error-free”, sources stressed.
They disclosed that the practice of attesting mutations at the headquarters instead in the field that too in the presence of concerned parties/stake holders, Lambardar, Chowkidar, Sarpanch and Panch and other prominent persons of the village body is still going on in major parts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and this is leading to alleged fraudulent mutations.
As per the standing instructions, a Girdawar has to ensure 100% checking of the revenue record of the area under his control while as a Naib Tehsildar is required to check 50% of the record. Similarly, Tehsildar and the Sub-Divisional Magistrates/ Assistant Commissioner Revenue have to check 25% and 15% revenue record of their respective areas. Even the Deputy Commissioner is supposed to check 5% revenue record.
Besides these, there are also instructions for all the revenue officers from Tehsildars to Additional Deputy Commissioners to make inspection of revenue records village wise maintained by the Patwaris in order to ensure removal of discrepancies.
Each Additional Deputy Commissioner is required to inspect two villages, 3 villages by each Assistant Commissioner and 5 villages by each Tehsildar per month and the progress made on this account is required to be furnished to the office of Financial Commissioner Revenue without any fail.
However, none of these instructions are being followed by the revenue officers as a result of which discrepancies continue to persist in the revenue records much to the disappointment of people, who are the worst victims of manipulation in the records.
When contacted, Financial Commissioner Revenue Dr Pawan Kotwal admitted that strict action in the cases of fraudulent entries in the revenue records was imperative to have deterrent effect. “Deputy Commissioners are competent to conduct inquiries and make necessary recommendation to the appointing authorities for action against errant officials”, he said.
“No doubt, inquiries are being conducted in certain cases but this practice is required to be adopted in each and every case so that guilty officials are punished as per the rules”, he said in response to a question. He too admitted that inspections of records were not being conducted strictly as per the standing instructions.
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