Revenue officials to stay away from poll campaigns: Unions
Outfits working for the rights of revenue officials, including patwaris and kanungos, have cautioned activists of their organisations against direct or indirect involvement in the ensuing panchayat elections.
Revenue officials have been asked to ensure that no field report or document was issued under pressure from a political leader, candidates or officer acting on the insistence of any influential person. In case they face any pressure, the activists have been advised to contact office-bearers of the outfit at unit or district level.
Harvir Singh Dhindsa, president, Revenue Patwar Union, Punjab, and Rupinder Singh Grewal, president, Revenue Kanungo Association, said their organisations had decided to caution all activists against malpractices to benefit candidates of their choice.
“You are advised to ensure that no report or document — which may be used to help or oppose a probable candidate in the ensuing panchayat poll — is issued under pressure from any political leader or officer,” Dhindsa and Grewal stressed in the advisory issued to the members of their respective unions.
“Every field report should be fair, correct, impartial and based on records available with the revenue official,” read a joint circular issued by the presidents of the Revenue Patwar Union and Revenue Kanungo Union.
Showing satisfaction over the response received to the call from their activists, Dhindsa and Grewal claimed that most of the revenue officials had welcomed the decision and assured that they would not interfere in political matters at their native villages or places of posting.
“Although there are some revenue officials whose close relatives intend on contesting the panchayat election, they (revenue officials) would remain aloof from the election campaign,” said Dhindsa.
