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Haryana: Patwaris protest ‘corrupt list’
Association’s Bhiwani district president Sunil Kumar said that they have submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner seeking a probe against the intelligence officers, who prepared this list and termed the majority of patwaris as corrupt.
The Revenue Patwar and Kanungo Association on Monday carried out demonstrations at district headquarters across the state to protest against the Haryana government for releasing a letter which includes names of 370 “corrupt” patwaris (revenue officials).
Association’s Bhiwani district president Sunil Kumar said that they have submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner seeking a probe against the intelligence officers, who prepared this list and termed the majority of patwaris as corrupt.
“We are feeling embarrassed after the release of this list and now people in the rural areas are also upset over the list. We were charging government fees, not the bribe amount,” he added.
A day earlier, Jaiveer Chahal, state president of the Haryana Revenue Patwar and Kanungo Association had said that the government has done an inhuman act by releasing a letter and including names of honest patwaris.
“In the list, two patwaris - Devendra from Gurgaon and Omprakash from Kaithal, who died earlier were also included. This list was prepared by the intelligence officials to please their senior officials and government. We are exploring options to take legal action against the government,” he added.
In a January 14 communication to deputy commissioners, the office of the financial commissioner, revenue (FCR), had written that the corrupt practices of these patwaris, who regularly deal with the public, brings a bad name to the government. The communication explicitly mentions the names of the corrupt revenue officials and the modus operandi to extract money from the public. Many patwaris who figure in the list of corrupt officials have been functioning at a particular village or tehsil for the last eight to 10 years.
“Private individuals deployed to assist the patwaris also work as brokers for them. A large number of people who visit patwaris for land related work get harassed as patwaris raise objections one after the another forcing citizens to bribe them,” said the communication by the office of the FCR.
