MAILS:
Land transfer operations have been at a standstill across dozens of villages in Tehsil Mailsi for months, plunging citizens into severe financial distress and administrative gridlock.
Allegations of corruption, forgery and mismanagement within the local Land Record Office have plunged the revenue system into deep crisis, prompting widespread calls for government intervention.
According to official figures from the Punjab Revenue Department, Tehsil Mailsi includes 309 administrative villages divided into nine revenue zones. Of these, records for 272 villages were digitized between 2017 and 2018, while 37 villages remain outside the computerized system.
Until earlier this year, land transfers in these areas were done manually. However, an official notification issued in April suspended all manual transactions in 31 of these villages and ordered them to be digitized immediately.
Six months later, the process remains incomplete – resulting in a complete halt to both manual and online transfers.
Areas like Tibba Sultanpur, Muradabad, Jalla Jeem, Bahadur Baloch and Karampur have been particularly affected, where even a basic land ownership certificate has become impossible.
This administrative paralysis has deprived the provincial government of millions in expected revenue from transfer fees.
Local landowners and farmers say they are caught in financial limbo. “We have signed agreements and made partial payments for land purchases, but transfers cannot be completed,” said farmer Muhammad Shahid.
“Now sellers are going back to demand higher prices, creating disputes and losses.” Others, including Amir Hasan and Muhammad Bilal, shared similar frustrations.
Sources claim that certain Land Record Office officials deliberately prioritize specific clients and update selected “khewats” (land records) on preferential grounds. Meanwhile, some patwaris (revenue officials) allegedly collect fees in cash without depositing it in the treasury, instead pocketing the money. Reports of bogus bank claims, fake stamps and tampering with records have further fueled public distrust of the system.
In Mailsi town alone, thousands of pending land transfers remain unprocessed – some for several years – while files in villages like Dhararwan and Muradabad also await approval.
Insiders attribute these delays to corruption involving officials who allegedly embezzled government fees and left transfers incomplete.
Some inspection teams have also been suspected of colluding with revenue officials in return for financial favors, conducting only cursory investigations rather than genuine audits.
Mailsi Land Record Office Service Officer Asim Hashmi said staff are “actively processing available transfers” but added that “full digitization of all villages requires additional time due to staff shortages.”
Meanwhile, local patwaris have dismissed allegations of wrongdoing, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.”
However, Mailsi Assistant Commissioner Rana Zohaib Kareem confirmed that an investigation has been initiated. “If any officials are found involved in malpractice, strict legal action will follow,” the AC assured.
