Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Ajaz Ahmad Khan today said that he has devised an action plan to digitise the land records in the State. He said as a first step the records of settlement operations being held currently in the State are being computerized.
Replying to the discussion on demand of grants for the Revenue Department, the Minister said ever since he took over as the Minister Incharge, he has felt the need of computerization of land records and strengthening of revenue infrastructure in the State. He said, “we are all aware that the condition of land records in patwar khanas in the shape of Lathas, Fards and other records is not so good as a result of which people face difficulties in getting the extracts of their survey Nos.”
Ajaz Khan said the settlement operations of 1800 villages in the State have been completed, the records have been computerized and submitted to the Government. He said with this the process of computerization of land records has set on and said that he is hopeful that the records of entire settlement of the State would be computerized within 6-7 years. He said every village would be covered under the settlement and 600 Patwaris would be specially detailed for undertaking settlement operations.
The Minister said raising basic infrastructure for the offices and officers of the Revenue Department across the State has been his other priority. He said Patwar khanas, Record rooms and other related infrastructure would be raised in all tehsils and nayabats. The tehsil offices in 8 tehsils are under construction while these have already been constructed in tehsils like Lar, Gurez, Rajouri, Kulgam, Pampore, Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur etc, said, similarly, work is apace at 20 nayabats across the State, he added.
Given the sensitivity of the issue, Ajaz said, a high powered committee headed by FC Revenue has been constituted to see how the Permanent Resident Certificate (PRCs) format would be digitised to minimize the formation of fake certificate and enable the availability of records with the Government of each person to whom such a certificate has been issued. A beginning has already been made from district Jammu in this regard and a single window system has been put in place for the delivery of 14 services of the department which have been brought under the ambit of Public Services Guarantee Act, he added.
Terming Revenue as the backbone of civil administration, the Minister said the department holds a special place in the legal history of the State. He said historic Legislations like Land to Tiller, Agrarian Reforms Acts, PRC Act, Roshni Act etc. were the creation of this department only and placed on record his appreciation for persons of vision who have held this department ever since the times of Maharaja.
Ajaz Khan said the department is working round the clock to mitigate the sufferings of the people. He said despite the shortage of manpower, the department has been able to settle about 99% land compensation cases of railways and 70-80% cases of National Highway widening. He said so far Rs. 480 crore has been disbursed as compensation and Centre has been approached for another Rs. 409 crore to clear all the compensation cases.
The Minister said the rehabilitation package for Kashmiri Pandits is being executed by the Government with all seriousness. The revised package has been devised and so far 5000 KPs have volunteered to return back to their home and hearth. The department has raised transit accommodations in the district headquarters of Kashmir Valley where at present 915 KPs are residing. The Government has written to the Centre to bring Jammu migrants at par with KPs, he added.
He said the Government is working to resolve the issues of refugees and wherever the deficiencies are found would be worked out. The encroachments on State land and Kahcharie would not be allowed and a drive to clear such encroachments would be launched soon. Besides the amendments are being made to Roshni Act to enable the villagers the benefit of the Act who could not get it in time and also ensure that the defaulters of payment are dealt with sternly, he added.
The Minister said the department is in shortage of manpower and steps are being taken to tide over the problem. The 1500 people are being imparted Patwar training through BOPEE and out of them 600 would be deployed for settlement duties. The remunerations of Numbardars and Chowkidars were recently hiked by 50%. The Numbardars and Chowkidars have remained the face of the department and due to their efforts the revenue generation (Malia) has risen from Rs. 5 crore to Rs. 45 crore, he added.
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