CHENNAI: In a quirk of fate that exemplifies a deep malaise, a tout was booked by the Tambaram police after he approached Chengalpattu District Revenue Officer R Manuel Raj promising to get patta for any type of land for a price when the officer was visiting the Tambaram RDO office for an inspection two weeks ago.
“All revenue officials (including the DRO) are on my payroll and I can get anything done,” the accused, Prabhakar, had allegedly told the officer without realising that he was talking to the DRO himself. According to sources, Manuel Raj was waiting near the entrance gate for his subordinates after a meeting at the RDO office when Prabhakar approached him asking if he needed patta for any land under dispute. After probing him more, the DRO immediately summoned Tambaram RDO V Arivudai Nambi and other officials and directed them to evict Prabhakar from the premises immediately. Following this, Tambaram tahsildhar Balaji filed a complaint with the Tambaram police and a case was filed against the broker.
Though applications for most of the social welfare schemes in the State, including patta-related work at VAO offices, are accepted and processed online, touts continue to hold a vice-like grip on RDO and taluk offices in Tambaram.
Residents of Tambaram and other suburban areas say the incident was the tip of the iceberg and touts play a major role in resolving land-related cases and getting certificates expeditiously. K Rajan, a resident of Pallavaram, said, “During patta transfer or subdivision transfer, names or a few other details are recorded erroneously in office systems by revenue officials for various reasons. It takes nearly six months to one year to correct such errors. Such issues can never be resolved without the support of middlemen.”
Similarly, applications seeking NOC for land parcels that are located close to highways, though not earmarked for acquisition for widening of roads or any other projects, also get delayed indefinitely. Chengalpattu Collector Rahul Nath said, “FIR had been registered against the broker and an inquiry is on to find out his contacts.”
“To prevent movement of touts, we have made wearing of identity cards mandatory for staff on RDO and taluk office premises. Surveillance cameras are also being installed on campuses. We have introduced access restrictions for outsiders at a few places in RDO and taluk offices.” Rahul Nath said applications received online are being disposed of within a fixed time. “In some cases, there may be delays due to staff shortage. We are trying to fix the shortcomings at the earliest.”