MAILSI:
Land transfer operations have been at a standstill across dozens of villages in Tehsil Mailsi for several months, plunging citizens into severe financial distress and administrative deadlock.
Allegations of corruption, forgery, and mismanagement within the local Land Record Office have pushed the revenue system into a deep crisis, prompting widespread calls for government intervention.
According to official figures from the Punjab Revenue Department, Tehsil Mailsi comprises 309 administrative villages divided into nine revenue zones. Of these, records for 272 villages were digitised between 2017 and 2018, while 37 villages remain outside the computerized system.
Until earlier this year, land transfers in these areas were conducted manually. However, an official notification issued in April suspended all manual transactions in 31 of these villages, directing that they be digitised immediately.
Six months later, the process remains incomplete — resulting in a complete halt of both manual and online transfers.
Areas such as Tibba Sultanpur, Muradabad, Jalla Jeem, Bahadur Baloch, and Karampur have been particularly affected, where even obtaining 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 trapped in financial limbo. “We’ve signed agreements and made partial payments for land purchases, but transfers can’t be finalised,” said farmer Muhammad Shahid.
“Now, sellers are backing out to demand higher prices, creating disputes and losses.” Others, including Amir Hasan and Muhammad Bilal, shared similar frustrations.
Sources claim certain Land Record Office officials are deliberately prioritising specific clients, updating select “khewats” (land registers) on preferential grounds. Meanwhile, some patwaris (revenue clerks) allegedly collect fees in cash without depositing them into the government treasury, instead pocketing the money. Reports of fake bank challans, counterfeit stamps, and record tampering have further deepened public distrust in the system.
In Mailsi city 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, leaving transfers incomplete.
Some inspection teams have also come under suspicion for colluding with revenue staff in exchange for financial favours, conducting only superficial reviews rather than genuine audits.
Service Incharge at the Mailsi Land Record Office Asim Hashmi said the staff is “actively processing available transfers,” but added that “full digitisation of all villages requires additional time due to staff shortages.”
Meanwhile, local patwaris have denied allegations of misconduct, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.”
Mailsi Assistant Commissioner Rana Zohaib Kareem, however, confirmed that an inquiry has been initiated. “If any officials are found involved in malpractice, strict legal action will follow,” the AC assured.
