Patwari office in Ambala Cantt cries for attention

DC Ashok Kumar Sharma says they analysing if the patwaris could be shifted to the new secretariat building nearby, or else maintenance work will be started.

The patwari office in Ambala’s Cantonment area is in a shambles with labourers taking over the vacant rooms, stray animals occupying the open spaces and unkempt trees growing all over the walls at this 100-year-old British-era building.

The British-era building is in a dilapidated state. (HT Photo)

Surrounded by modern eateries and shops, with an upcoming football stadium just a stone’s throw away, this building in Haryana home minister Anil Vij’s hometown craves for a makeover.

The place is now office to nine patwaris of the constituency and is regularly visited by locals as nearly five villages comes under a patwari.

While most of the patwaris were not ready to speak, one of them, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We have already spoken several times to almost everybody, but no one cares. Many reporters visited this place when a roof collapsed on the entry and next to my room. Thankfully, no one was hurt.”

A retired patwari, Dal Singh Rana, who has worked almost for a decade here, said that every local has to visit a patwari at least once in his lifetime.

“As the president of the patwari kanungo association, we’ve taken forward our requests for maintenance to the higher authorities, but there has been no redressal yet. There is no facility for toilets and even the public has to urinate in open,” he said.

Swaraj Singh, a farmer from Machhonda village, who came for some paperwork at the office, said, “I’m afraid that building could collapse anytime. People like me have to visit this place frequently for our land issues.”

Built in 1926, the land was part of Behari Lal Trust and had a dharamshala at this space till it was taken over by the administration after a legal battle, locals privy with the details said.

Former councillor Omkar Pruthi said, “The building should be repaired or the officials could be shifted to another building urgently because any mishap can happen here. Hundreds of locals spend hours here daily and the condition of the building is pathetic.”

While secretary of the Ambala Sadar municipal council, Rajesh Kumar, said that he’ll forward any demand for maintenance to the department concerned, DC Ashok Kumar Sharma said, “The issue is already in my notice. We’re analysing if the patwaris could be shifted to the new secretariat building nearby, or else we’ll start the maintenance work.”