KARACHI:
Landholders complain that revenue officials do not follow the laws and rules prescribed in the Revenue Act during partition proceedings. While preparing the Naqsha Jeem, they fail to classify the land as envisaged in Section 140 of the Act. Land has different classifications — agricultural, residential, canal- or tubewell-irrigated, non-agricultural, disputed, barren, etc — and each type carries a specific value according to its kind. At this stage, influential sharers, in collusion with the Patwari, get high-value land included in their share. The collector then endorses the Naqsha Jeem, ignoring objections to the mode of partition.
Consequently, financially weak sharers receive either disputed or low-value land as their share. Based on the collector’s order, the mutation is incorporated into the revenue records. Thereafter, at the stage of delivery of possession, the weak sharer’s application is dismissed on the grounds that the land is disputed. In short, the revenue mafia exercises unchecked discretion without any fear of accountability.
Also, our Rajbahs, minors and distributaries are in a dilapidated condition and must be restored to their original state through proper repair and maintenance. Because the water channels and their outlets are severely outdated, they fail to supply the authorised volume of water. While shareholders at the head and middle of the channels receive adequate water, those at the tail end are completely deprived. In many areas, the water channels have been dismantled altogether. The District Coordinating Team should inspect these channels and take immediate steps to ensure all shareholders receive their rightful share of water. Ensuring a reliable water supply to farmers will significantly boost agricultural production.
Sher Gondal
Mandi Bahauddin
