The Punjab government on Tuesday announced a series of measures, including clearing all pending cases regarding attestation of uncontested mutations, land record copies, issuance of income certificate and inspection of revenue records by April 30, to streamline public services and eliminate corruption within the revenue department.
Addressing a press conference here, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the revenue department received 8,42,362 applications regarding attestation of uncontested mutations, 31,164 for copies of land records, 5,33,054 regarding issuance of income certificate and 1,73,149 regarding inspection of revenue records during the last one year, out of which 26,658, 17,400, 4,362 and 2,123, respectively, were pending beyond the stipulated timelines. He said that all these pending cases would be resolved by April 30. Revenue minister Hardeep Singh Mundian and additional chief secretary-cum-financial commissioner, revenue, Anurag Verma were also present.
The minister announced to reduce the stipulated time for attestation of uncontested mutations from 45 to 30 days from May 1. “The deputy commissioners will now monitor the pendency of overdue cases on a daily basis, ensuring regular oversight of pending applications. Stipulated timeline for copying service is 10 days, for income certificate is 15 days and for inspection of revenue records is seven days,” he added.
Cheema further stated that the accountability of the government official or employee of the revenue department has been fixed to deliver services as per stipulated timelines and in case of any undue delay strict action would be taken against them. The finance minister, while highlighting the online module allowing citizens to submit requests for mutations directly through the department’s website, said this digital approach was aimed at simplifying procedures and reducing reliance on physical visits to government offices enhancing efficiency and accountability.
{{/usCountry}}Cheema further stated that the accountability of the government official or employee of the revenue department has been fixed to deliver services as per stipulated timelines and in case of any undue delay strict action would be taken against them. The finance minister, while highlighting the online module allowing citizens to submit requests for mutations directly through the department’s website, said this digital approach was aimed at simplifying procedures and reducing reliance on physical visits to government offices enhancing efficiency and accountability.
{{/usCountry}}The earlier cumbersome process of obtaining mutations often required individuals to navigate through multiple layers of bureaucracy involving patwaris, kanungos and tehsildars, he said, adding that this not only led to undue harassment but also opened avenues for corrupt practices. “Similarly, services such as copying service, income certificate issuance and inspection of revenue records, though available through sewa kendras, were plagued by inefficiencies, forcing citizens to visit various places, like DC offices, tehsils and municipal committees after submitting their applications,” he added.