Peshawar, The caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, chaired a meeting of the Board of Revenue to review the progress in the computerization and digitization of land records in the province. The meeting focused on the advancements made following the Chief Minister’s directives in the previous meeting.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the meeting was attended by the Caretaker Provincial Minister for Revenue and Finance Ahmad Rasool Bangash, Caretaker Minister for Information Technology Dr. Najeebullah, Senior Member of the Board of Revenue Ikramullah Khan, and other relevant officials. The attendees were briefed on the significant improvements made in the computerization process of land records. This improvement was noted after the Chief Minister’s emphasis on expediting the process, leading to an increase of 30 operational centers in various districts over the last week, taking the total number from 2356 to 2386 centers.
Additionally, it was reported that manual placements had been reduced from 813 to 474 in a week. Progress was made in several districts, with new operational centers in Bannu, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Peshawar, Bitgram, Swat, and Shangla. Concurrently, certain places in Haripur, Swat, Shangla, Bannu, Peshawar, DI Khan, and Bitgram were closed.
To monitor this progress, a land record computerization tracking system has been developed on the PMRU portal, allowing for daily review. The meeting also revealed that surprise visits by the Board of Revenue teams to various districts resulted in the suspension and initiation of inquiries against revenue officers and officials for poor performance and negligence.
The Chief Minister directed Deputy Commissioners of all districts to expedite the computerization of land records and issued instructions to enhance the security of land record and record rooms. This includes the installation of fire extinguishers, electrification, racking, and CCTV cameras. The meeting also reviewed issues related to home cultivation in detail.
Chief Minister Hussain Shah emphasized the importance of streamlining the patwar system, equating it to a form of Jihad, and urged all concerned authorities to ensure progress as per the given timelines. This initiative is part of the broader effort to modernize and secure land records, thereby improving governance and accountability in the region.