Punjab News- Renowned consultancies to scrutinise property registrations in 12 tehsils- Majithia

Jalandhar, September 9, 2013: The Punjab Revenue department has hired two world renowned consultancies namely Price Waterhouse Coopers and KPMG to scrutinise the documents regarding property registrations in 12 tehsils in last one year to ascertain whether these were registered as per prescribed norms of the state government.

Disclosing this here today during an interaction with media persons, the Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that this initiative was aimed to ensure total transparency in the revenue department working and categorically said that in case of any wrong doing concerned officer/official would have to face the music. He informed that about 1.5 lac property registrations would be scrutinised in this process. He said that the department was exploring the possibility of automating revenue system to bring more efficiency. He said that Integrated Computerisation and Registration of Documents project (RoD) has already been started in Mohali, Jalandhar and Nakodar. 

He further said that a new direct system of agri-loans was being introduced in which a farmer would directly get loan from the bank and bank authorities would write to Revenue department to make entries of loan against mortgaged property in revenue records. Earlier, they have to approach revenue department first before moving for loan. Reiterating his commitment to weed out corruption in Revenue department, Majithia revealed that 10 Naib Tehsildar and 5 Tehsildars have been suspended in last one year while three officers have been dismissed from service.

Later addressing the gathering after inaugurating Sub-Registrars office, Majithia said that the SAD-BJP Government has led the nation by implementing a unique ‘Right to Service Act’ with an aim to curb the red-tapism and harassment of general public in government offices besides making the bureaucracy accountable to provide all government services in a time bound manner. He pointed out that the setting up of 114 Suwidha Kendras (36 services), 161 Computerized Fard Kendras (providing fards in just 10 minutes) and 146 Saanjh Kendras delivering 25 services has changed the public perception about the functioning of various key departments extending valuable services in the state.

He further said that with operationalization of 161 computerized fard kendras covering 12683 villages out of 13001 total villages of the state, the landowners were now just a click away from their land records. He informed that these fard kendras have been providing on an average 2.35 lac fards per month and the remaining 6 fard kendras would be soon set up at newly created 6 sub tehsils.

He said that as per the requirement the number of Sub-Registrar office would be enhanced in major cities like Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda and Mohali and he was fully committed to provide world class infrastructure and facilities at registration offices to ensure comfort of the visitors as this department was the major source of revenue generation in the state.

The Revenue Minister said that till date 13 District Administrative Complexes namely Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Patiala, Roopnagar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Mansa, Sangrur, Bathinda, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Moga and Faridkot housing all government departments in multi-storey buildings have been set up in the state and 15 SDM complexes were being constructed at the cost of Rs. 44 crores.

Earlier, Majithia inaugurated Rs. 3.50 crore ultra modern building housing Sub-registrars, Jalandhar 1 & 2 offices along with Patwar work stations having 4 public counters, an air-conditioned hall having seating capacity for 400 people and 62 cabins for Patwaris. He also inaugurated Rs. 85 lac Sub-Tehsil office and Patwar work station, Bhogpur and Rs. 90 lac Sub-Tehsil office and Patwar work station, Adampur.

Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Chuni Lal Bhagat, Local Bodies Minister, Pawan Kumar Tinu and KD Bhandari, both Chief Parliamentary Secretaries,  Pargat Singh, MLA and Sunil Jyoti, Mayor, Jalandhar.