Re-employed patwaris to get additional charge of vacant revenue circles in Punjab

Re-employed patwaris to get additional charge of vacant revenue circles in Punjab

Chandigarh: As many as 537 re-employed retired patwaris will now get additional charge of the revenue circles that are lying vacant. A decision has been taken by the government after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced his decision to fill all posts of patwari to counter the strike by the Revenue Patwar Union, Punjab. Since September 1, 1,523 patwaris have refused to work in revenue circles other than the ones where they are posted in.

Top officials in the Revenue Department say that the posting orders for 741 patwaris, who have already completed 15 months of training, will be issued on Monday. With this, they say, the pen-down strike of patwaris will become ineffective and public will not suffer.

Interestingly, though the union claims that there are 4,716 revenue patwar circles, the government says that there are just 3,660 circles. “The revenue circles were reduced after the previous representatives of the Revenue Patwar Union had urged the state for the same to get promotions for patwaris to the post of kanungos. While patwaris have already said they would work in 1,523 circles that they are posted in, 741 patwaris will join duties tomorrow in vacant circles. As many as 537 re-employed patwaris will be issued directions to work in the remaining vacant circles,” said a top officer in the department.

Revenue Patwar Union president Harvir Singh Dhindsa, however, said “We will move court if the circles have been reduced. There has been massive urbanisation in the past decade. The number of districts has increased to 23 and the population had increased manifold. How can they reduce the number of circles?”