October 9, 2020
After passing of eight months people awaiting mutation of land record in Himachal Pradesh. As more than 500 mutation proceedings are pending under Rural Shimla. Files are biting dust because Revenue officers are not going to field to conduct the process owing to the Covid pandemic , lamented the local villagers.
Talking about it, Sohan Singh resident of Ghanati said that Tehsildar and Naib-Tehsildar are not conducting the mutation process since March this year as they are afraid of the pandemic. Numbers of cases are pending for the final disposal due to the deliberate delay being caused.
Similar is the condition of mutation in other subdivisions of the state as people are keenly waiting for mutation of records. Singh said that Patwari is showing their inability to announce the date of mutation as senior revenue officials are not coming in the fields since a long time. We need the mutation process soon however the issue is pending with the officials.
“The people have submitted mutation fees with the concerned authority and order to execute are already passed by the senior revenue officers in various matters,” he added.
Roop Ram Verma another resident of Gram Panchayat Shanan said that Patwari has completed their work to enter the mutation proceedings however it is yet to be accepted by the Naib Tehsildar and Tehsildar rank revenue officers. Normally Patwari enters the mutation papers in the revenue records, Kanongo (senior to Patwari) verifies and matches the entries and Naib Tehsildar and Tehsildar registers or attests the proceeding in routine fashion.
Local residents rued that the attitude of Revenue authority for showing extra precaution during the pandemic is not acceptable. When the court started working in routine fashion and people are attending their duty following the covid protocol then Mutation proceedings would also not pose any harm barring that social distancing is maintained. They added that now even Veterinary department, health, Education, IPH and Public works are visiting remote villages for routine work. “But the whim and fancy of the revenue officers are forcing number people to keenly wait for a long time to accomplish their revenue works.
It is interesting that the Revenue department has to conduct demarcation, Galdevari and mutation and other works but they are still in the lockdown mode for the last eight months, Singh added. Verma said that mutation should be brought under citizen register to make it a time bound process.
The State revenue department despite being computerized in the state is still lethargic, opaque and red taped Government sector which needs to be calibrated, the residents concluded.
