LAHORE, Pakistan: The Punjab Land Record Authority and the Bank of Punjab have signed an agreement at Model Town in Lahore under which Arazi Centres’ counters will be opened at all branches of the Bank of Punjab where the citizens will be provided facilities of getting ownership deed (Fard) and other land related matters.
The Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest on this occasion.
The Director General Punjab Land Record Authority Caption (retd) Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and Group Head Retail and Cash Management Bank of Punjab Ahmed Shah Durrani signed the agreement.
While addressing the ceremony, Shahbaz Sharif said that the agreement between Punjab Land Record Authority and Bank of Punjab augers well and implementation of these agreements will expand the scope of services and the people will be facilitated in getting their documents of their land.
The Chief Minster said that the Punjab government has taken a revolutionary measure by computerising the land record of rural areas and now a program has been evolved to computerize ‘gardwari system’.
The Punjab Chief Minister said that the modern system of Land Record Information Management System has eliminated patwari culture and after computerization of ‘gardwari’ system will result in complete elimination of patwari. He said that after that it will be choice of patwaris whether to continue government job or lead personal life after depositing all looted money in the official kitty.
Shahbaz Sharif said that common farmers have been benefited with computerization of the land record and corrupt system has been eliminated forever.
Moreover, he said that Punjab Land Record Information Management System is fully operational in 143 tehsils of the province and Khidmat centres are providing facilities to the people. He said that there is rush of the people at the Khidmat centres therefore decision has been taken to outsource it and the agreement with the Bank of Punjabi is a head-start in this regard and expansion of its scope will be completed by December.
Shahbaz said that real companies will come fore and earn profit but will provide best facilities to the people as well. He said that farmers will get exceptional benefits as a result of outsourcing additional load.
The Chief Minister said that according to the agreement reached with the Bank of Punjab, counters will be opened in all 450 branches of the bank where the people will get facilities and in this way, bank will become our partner and process of public service will be forwarded in a better way.
The Punjab Chief Minister said that he can claim without any fear and hesitation that such system is not available anywhere in Pakistan however we are providing assistance to Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the fields of education, health and others. He said that this is the matter of pride for Punjab government that the Land Record Information System has been introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and after collaboration with BoP, farmers will make dealings with banks easily.
Shahbaz Sharif said that this modern system has been helpful in the wheat procurement drive and payment of compensation to the flood victims. He said gardawarian are made during Kharif and Rabiye crops and when during the current wheat procurement campaign gardawarian were checked under an automatic system, 17000 names could not be verified. He said that the Punjab Land Record Authority has been made so that no government in future could damage this system. He said that the outsource process started under the agreement with the BoP will be transferred to tehsil and union council level in a few weeks and completed by December 15 and fee of fard (ownership deed)is Rs350/-.
While answering question asked by journalists, Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab Land Record Authority has been constituted that will supervise this system and it has 19 members. He said that all land record of rural areas has been computerized and now plan has been made to computerize land record of urban areas and work on it will start soon.
While answering another question, he said stern action will be taken against the staff involved in corruption in the new system and those responsible for corruption are jailed and recovery of looted money has been made from them after registering cases against them while 452 employees have been dismissed from service.
About Patwari System, he said that this is evident that this system will end and final deadline has been given to patwari system and now patwaris should deposit money earned through corrupt means otherwise action will be taken against them. He said that fard record has been put on website that can show who owns land.
While answering a question about land grabbers, he said that land grabbers mafia can be a politician and bureaucrat and anybody else. He said that the example of Kasur is in front of us in which a grade 19 Deputy Secretary was involved in land grabbers’ mafia.
Shabaz Sharif said that he is thankful to Chief Justice Lahore High Court who cancelled bail of that Deputy Secretary and recovery of 700 kanal land was made from him. He said that in the same way, land on Ferozepur Road was recovered. He said we will grow flowers after recovering lands from ‘qabzamafia’.
The Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Adviser Dr. Umer Saif, Special Assistant Malik Ahmed Khan, Chairman Punjab Land Record Authority and MPA Rana Babar Hussain, President Bank of Punjab, Parliamentarians, Chief Secretary, Senior Member BoR and senior officials of Punjab were present on the occasion.
