Land record: Supreme Court asks provinces to submit progress reports every fortnight

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued directives to all the provincial governments to submit progress reports on land revenue department computerisation process every fortnight in the court. The Punjab and Sindh governments were directed to provide technical assistance to the Balochistan government for computerization of revenue record.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing a HR case of corruption in revenue departments. All the top legal officers of the provinces and Nadra counsel Afnan Karim Khundi appeared before the bench.
"Litigation related to revenue record would be considerably reduced after the computerisation of record," the Chief Justice observed. The bench was apprised that Balochistan government had plans to computerise its revenue department in five years. The bench responded with its annoyance at the provincial government, saying that the proposed time was akin to ridiculing the judiciary. The CJP observed that British rulers were successful in maintaining records but the present government failed to compile record through computers.
The Punjab province land records of three districts - Lahore, Lodhran and Kasur - had already been computerised, the court was informed, while work in districts Jehlum and Mandi Bahauddin would be completed soon. However, all land records in the province would be computerised by December 2013.
The court was also informed that homework had been done in Sindh where land records would be computerised within one year. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the court was told, had contacted the Punjab government for technical assistance. The province would computerise land records within two years.
The CJP observed that computerised compilation of land record should begin from the land holdings of feudal lords with a view to nipping evil in the bud as a substantial amount of kickbacks in transfer of patwaris in such areas had been reported. The court while rejecting the plea of the provinces seeking three months time for submitting interim report, directed them to submit report after every 15 days as it would be hearing the matter fortnightly.