Patwar offices face space crisis in Rawalpindi

A dispute between patwaris, the revenue department and applicants over delays in the issuance of green property certificates, property registrations and the persistent malfunctioning of the internet system has intensified, with an interesting revelation that there are no government patwar offices in Rawalpindi, Saddar, Cantt and City tehsils. It has further complicated the issue of shifting patwar offices established in private houses, bungalows and plazas to government offices. President of the Rawalpindi District Patwaris Association Tahir Warraich and its Central Secretary General Chaudhry Tanveer Hussain have formally demanded the commissioner and deputy commissioner declare the patwar offices established at private locations as temporary government patwar offices until official offices are constructed, otherwise complications will arise. There are 110 patwar offices in the three tehsils of Cantt, City and Saddar in Rawalpindi district, and none has been provided with a government patwar office. Previously, patwaris used to sit in the union councils of their respective areas, where the tehsildar also verified mutations and other matters. The option of shifting patwar offices back to union council offices, as was done previously, is also available. Patwaris should also be accommodated alongside union councils as they are employees of the Punjab government. A green property certificate proving ownership of property has been made mandatory for property registrations, while obtaining the certificate takes one month. Due to this lengthy process, applicants seeking to sell their properties immediately have been facing severe mental distress, while internet and ID-related problems during online payment of registration fees have also become routine.