
CHANDIGARH: For the first time ever the Haryana Government has identified 370 "corrupt" patwaris (revenue officials) across the state as the revenue department in a confidential report has asked the deputy commissioners concerned to take action against them and report back within fifteen days.
In a confidential letter dated January 14, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), Anurag Rastogi, highlighted the impact of corruption by patwaris on the public and the government’s reputation. The letter stated: “As the common man has to go to the patwaris for their work, such corruption by the patwaris adversely affects the image of the government. Many people go to these patwaris to get work done related to their lands, and they put objections time and again to harass the public. Thus, perforce, 'bribe' has to be given to them.”
Rastogi also asked them to take strict action in the matter and report back to the government within fifteen days.
Sources revealed that, in an unprecedented crackdown on corruption within the revenue department, the Haryana government has released a list of 370 patwaris. The list highlights allegations of these officials employing personal helpers and charging "convenience fees" for routine tasks.
Kaithal district tops the list with 46 corrupt patwaris, followed by Sonepat with 41, Mahendragarh with 36, Gurugram with 27, and Fatehabad with 25. Other districts include Kurukshetra with 23, Jhajjar with 20, Palwal with 17, Rewari with 16, Yamunanagar with 14, and Sirsa, Hisar, and Hansi with 13 each. Bhiwani has 10 such patwaris, while Panchkula stands out with none identified. Additionally, the government has identified 170 middlemen accused of collecting bribes on behalf of the patwaris.
While Kaithal district has maximum corrupt patwaris 46, followed by Sonepat 41, then Mahendragarh 36, Gurugram 27 such Patwaris, Fatehabad 25,Jahajjar 20, Kurukshetra 23, Palwal 17, Rewari 16, Yamunagar 14, Sirsa, Hisar and Hansi 13 each, Bhiwani 10 while Panchkula has zero. The government has also identified 170 middlemen who allegedly take bribes on behalf of the patwaris. Gurugram has the highest number of middlemen at 26, followed by Mahendragarh with 20. Sonepat, Palwal, and Rewari each have 15 middlemen, while Yamunanagar has 14.
Sources revealed that the confidential report was compiled by the state revenue department with inputs from the state intelligence wing of the Haryana Police. The report details the modus operandi of the alleged corrupt patwaris and their duration of posting.
According to the report, patwaris in Gurugram allegedly take the highest bribes in the state, charging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 for land mutations. For issuing fards, they reportedly demand between Rs 200 and Rs 500. Many of these officials are said to rely on middlemen to collect the bribes on their behalf.
The report further states that Patwaris some Pawaris posted in Chakhi Dadri takes around Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 for doing land mutation. And others in the district take between Rs 1,500 to Rs 2000. While Faridaba they take between Rs 500 to 700 to locate old revenue files. The letter added that a Patwari posted in Ambala from last 18 months has kept a middle men and for doing land mutation and land measurement and rectifying the record he harasses the public and another Patwari in Amabla Cantonment who has been posted the last two years and Patwari posted in Ambala city for last one year they also do the same. It is learnt that there are 1,378 patwaris in the across the state and 1,313 posts are lying vacant. As recently 2600 patwaris were recruited and they will complete their training thus now there will be no shortage of these revenue officials.
The report further mentions that patwaris in Charkhi Dadri charge between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 for land mutations, with others in the district demanding Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. In Faridabad, patwaris allegedly charge Rs 500 to Rs 700 for locating old revenue files.
The report also mentions a patwari in Ambala, posted for the last 18 months, who employs a middleman and harasses the public while handling tasks such as land mutations, land measurements, and record corrections. Similarly, a patwari in Ambala Cantonment, posted for two years, and another in Ambala city, posted for one year, are accused of similar practices.
The state has 1,378 sanctioned patwari posts, with 1,313 currently vacant. However, the recent recruitment of 2,600 patwaris, who are undergoing training, is expected to address this shortage soon.