Tehsildar suspended over ‘controversial’ sales deed registrations
‘Accommodating’ applicants who were seeking registration of sales deeds of land situated under the jurisdiction of the Jagraon subdivision while performing additional duties at the Ludhiana (East) registrar’s office cost Tehsildar Ranjit Singh dear as he was suspended and his powers withheld.
A number of revenue officials came forward in support of Ranjit, arguing that even top bureaucrats and ministers had been signing papers while hundreds of miles from their offices. Regarding the probe initiated by the government against Ranjit, members of the Punjab Revenue Officers Association (PROA) said the official was helpless as he had to justify multiple charges and that this trend was not an exception to the Revenue Department. PROA president Sukhcharan Singh Channi acknowledged resentment among activists of the association. According to Channi, out of the 84 revenue officials (tehsildars and naib tehsildars), at least 40 were holding multiple charges in the area.
“We will not interfere in the action initiated in compliance with the orders by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Anurag Verma, who, relying on the findings of the Punjab Land Records Society, has questioned the government’s own system of approving online applications while sitting at some distant government office,” said Channi, alleging that the government had also made him (Channi) a scapegoat in a fake corruption case.
Perusal of an order issued by Anurag Verma revealed that Jagraon Tehsildar Ranjit Singh had registered six sale deeds of the Jagraon region while he was at the Ludhiana (East) office from 5.5 pm to 5.12 pm on January 17. Singh had also registered a Ludhiana (East) deed four minutes after the last registry of Jagraon.
The Additional Chief Secretary noted that it was not possible for a sub-registrar to register a document at Jagraon at 5.12 pm and then reach Ludhiana (East) within 4 minutes to register another document there.
“This is a serious lapse. Therefore, Ranjit Singh is being charge-sheeted for major punishment under Rule 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeals) Rules 1970,” read the concluding paragraph of the order, adding that Singh was also placed under suspension and his headquarters would be at the SDM office in Dhar Kalan. Pathankot DC will send his (Ranjit’s) attendance report daily, concluded the order.
The incident drew the ire of activists from various social organisations in the area, while Ranjit tried to justify his action by arguing that he had done nothing wrong and illegal and everything was in the notice of his seniors.