Shop closed: Public suffers as patwaris’ strike enters eighth day

Revenue officials demand more allowance, promotions.

MARDAN:

The pen-down strike being observed by revenue department officials (patwaris) across the province has made life difficult for the general public, especially students intending to get their domiciles.

The patwaris, whose protest demanding an overhaul of their service structure entered its eighth day on Thursday, have rejected announcements made by the provincial government to allay their concerns.

President of the district patwaris association, Nisarullah, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan always blames Punjab for having a defunct patwari system but now his own government was increasing their problems instead of trying to fix the department.



“We are always targeted by the present provincial government whenever they talk of eliminating corruption, however, the rulers are not even ready to sit with us,” he added.

He said a patwari should work at the basic pay scale of 14, girdawar 15, naib tehsildar 16 and tehsildar 17.

Nisar said they are deputed across the province in case of calamities yet receive no field allowance.

Lashing out at the anti-corruption department, he said the department has made their lives miserable after starting an unjust crackdown against revenue officials.

“The department needs to act within the legal parameters which it has not been doing so far as our colleagues have been arrested and cases registered against them unlawfully,” the association’s vice president, Akbar Khan, said.

Khan said the patwaris are united for their cause and will not budge from their position. “We have even agreed to tender our resignations and no one can deter us by lodging bogus cases against us,” he added.

Senior vice president Akbar Sayed said political meddling in their affairs continues, adding the strike is not aimed at hiding or exposing corruption. He said they only want the government to accept their charter of demands.

“The acceptance of our demands can pave the way to rid our department of corruption to a great extent,” Sayed said. He claimed that patwaris are also deprived of transport allowance when they have to go to court to attend hearings related to land affairs.

Sher Akbar, a patwari from Gujarat, said they are not even given any stationery, like registers, forms and other essentials, which the government is supposed to provide.

“Either we should be given the stationery items or be paid money for it,” he added.

He said they are also not provided with official furniture which forces them to spend from their own pockets. “We are given Rs15 under this head and want Rs15,000 as patwarkhana allowance,” he demanded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2014.