PESHAWAR - A progress review meeting of the Board of Revenue (BoR) took place in Peshawar recently, chaired by the caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah.
The meeting assessed the implementation status of directives previously issued by the Chief Minister and reviewed the progress on the computerization and digitization of land records in the province. In attendance were Caretaker Provincial Minister for Revenue and Finance, Ahmed Rasool Bangash, Caretaker Minister for ST&IT, Dr. Najeeb Ullah, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Ikramullah Khan, and other relevant authorities.
During the briefing, it was highlighted that considerable progress had been achieved in the land record computerization project following the Chief Minister’s concern about its slow implementation. Notably, within the last week, 30 additional Mauzas became operational in various districts, raising the total operational Mauzas from 2356 to 2386. Simultaneously, the count of manual Mauzas dropped from 813 to 474 in the same period.
Over the past 11 days, 31 Mauzas, including 10 in Bannu, six in Abbottabad, seven in Charsadda, three in Peshawar, three in Kohat, one in Swat, and one in Shangla, have been made live. Conversely, 261 Mauzas have been marked for the cessation of manual mutations during this time, encompassing various districts.
To expedite the land records computerization, realistic targets have been assigned to Deputy Commissioners of all districts. The implementation progress is being monitored daily through the “Land Records Computerization Tracking System” on the PMRU portal. In line with the Chief Minister’s directives, surprise visits were conducted by BoR teams to several districts resulting in suspensions and inquiries against revenue officers/officials for inefficiency and poor performance.
Ensuring the safety of land records and record rooms, Deputy Commissioners were instructed to implement precautionary measures, including the installation of fire extinguishers, electrification systems, racking, insecticides, and CCTV cameras. The meeting also addressed various issues related to Khana-e-kasht.
The Chief Minister emphasized streamlining the entire patwar system, including Khana-e-kasht, within set timelines. Strict actions were assured against any obstruction to these reforms while efficient officials would receive recognition and rewards.
Concerned about past incidents of record room fires, the Chief Minister ordered an inquiry against involved officials, asserting zero tolerance for malpractice. He highlighted the significance of land records computerization, anticipating its role in resolving public grievances once completed.
