For hundreds of years now, the Patwari System has been a very important feature of Pakistan’s rural landscape. Even though there are some trying to reform and modernize these systems, this one is still particularly important for record and transaction management of lands in rural areas. In this publication, we shall look at the background, present-day operation, and significance of the Patwari system, together with the impact of modern governance practices which includes Information Technology.
Table of Contents
First of all, what is the Patwari System in Pakistan?
The Patwari system is popularly perceived as an Indian tradition in colonial land administration though it has been in existence since the Mughal Rule. The term ‘Patwari’ is employed to refer to a land recording officer assigned by the Government, who oversees and records landholdings, harvest and tax collection within the countryside.
With evolution, the British Empire made attempts to codify this system incorporating other functions of the Patwari, apart from holding land records which included tax collections and settling disputes. This system did not only become part of the administrative order. Even in present-day most rural portions of Pakistan, this aspect remains active.
The Function of a Patwari
Land record keeping is the core function of a Patwari. Some of the Patwari’s duties are as listed below:
- Girdawari Keeping: This is the record of the different kinds of crops grown over a piece of land which is important in assessment of agricultural tax, it also helps keep track of crop yield.
- Land Transactions: Recording all transactions related to ownership of land, its sale, and transfer is of a vast extensive nature. They also take care of important documents like the Fard which is mandatory for carrying out legal transactions.
- Revenue Collection: It was the long-standing practice of the Patwaris to fetch revenue from the landowners and taxes, that is revenue turnover is assured from the land owners to the state.
- Land Boundary Disputes: Since Patwaris are in possession of land-related documents, they also deal with land boundary disputes where they resolve land ownership issues with the help of land records.
Pre-Colonial and Colonial Patwari System
The Patwari system has its roots in the medieval Indian block-level revenue system that originated in the Mughal empire, which relied heavily on land taxes as a source of revenue. This was especially true within the British Colonial Era, this system was adapted and made efficient. The British taught how to keep records hence the Patwari became responsible for collecting tax and keeping legal records.
In the past, the Patwari was the negotiator authority in any land matters. Even though it held importance, such a central position also encouraged some corrupt practices. Patwaris being the de facto head of land transactions would make it a point to ask for extra money to complete their duties.
The Patwari System in Modern Times
The rest of the country might have advanced technologically but almost everywhere in rural Pakistan the system of Patwari. This remains the case as the patwari still is the first official whom people approach with to seek for land records or ownership certificates.
Present-Day Role in land administration
At present, the Patwari is still in charge of land administration and land record management and maintenance in most upcountry terrain in Pakistan. This was the situation in land administration infrastructure in most parts of developing countries where Information Communication and Technology-driven improvement such as computerization of land records was yet to be in place.
- Issuance of Fard: The Fard is a very important document to show ownership of the land, and the Patwari is the main person who is in charge of issuing fards. Land can only be transferred or sold if this document is made and only if the landholder wants to.
- Maintenance of Records: Though there are efforts to computerize land records, paper records are still in use in many rural areas and are kept by the Patwaris. These vary in scope but are often central to local governance and taxation.
Importance of the Patwari System to Governance
The Patwari system has been, and still is, important for the administration of the rural areas primarily providing a service both to the landholders and local government authorities. The Patwari is at the center of land matters which are critical to the people and the state as he acts as a go-between the people and the government.
Significance to Landowners
For landowners, the interaction with the Patwari system is that of maintenance of land records, settlement of disputes, and registration of transfer of ownership. In Indian villages, land is considered to be the most important resource as land constitutes a large part of a person’s wealth and land records provide security to their ownership.
Significance to Local Authorities
For the Local Authorities, the Patwari system provides the necessary information required for land management and administration. The land records kept by the Patwaris are utilized during taxation administration, planning, and development. In the absence of these records, the Local Governments would find it hard to implement land use policies or manage land resources.
Digitalization of Land Records: Changes brought About
Finally, within the past decades, the country Pakistan has progressed in developing the Patwari system by adopting and increasing the use of digitalization of land records. Corruption has been sustained, and a number of legal changes introduced seeking to increase overall public accountability; which of the legal acts did most change the Land Records?
Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA)
As regards Punjab province, the drive towards computerization has been spearheaded by the Punjab lands Records authority. The landowners are now able to view their land records online through the government portal and this has considerably reduced the interaction with the Patwaris. Such reform has the possibility of curtailing corruption and increase the efficiency of land transactions
Sindh’s LARMIS System
Land Administration & Revenue Management Information System (LARMIS) of Sindh province offers facility for the land records to the landowners inhibited by records through computers. This system has enabled land owners to acquire authentic records of their land without having to go through the cumbersome procedures of the use of the former norm of recorded sustention pagination
The Impact of Digitalization
Yes, the advance is commendable but that does not mean there is no more the Patwari system. Digitalization has not been fully embraced in all places largely because most rural areas do not have the requirements to put into use the records digitally. Nevertheless, as reforms with regard to records become more and more digital, the Patwari system as it exists today is likely to be of little value, especially to the residents of urban and semi-urban areas.
Challenges and Controversies
Nonetheless, the system has received a lot of negative criticism, and one of the reasons for that is the undermined corruption. Corruption is accepted to be a vice common in the Patwari institutions. A lot of Patwaris are infamous for soliciting for bribes in order to register any transactions or modify existing entries in the land records. Therefore, landholders find it hard to access goods and services without bribing the providers of such services.
Corruption and Resistance to Change
The greatest obstacle in the way of establishing effective reforms into the Patwari system derives from the very system they are trying to change. The response to intermediaries who solicit farmers for the change to more modern practices that include electronic mediums is negative. Moreover, reform of this nature has taken ages to happen especially in the countryside where Patwaris remain deeply entrenched.
Conclusion: The Future of the Patwari System in Pakistan
Despite such criticism, the Patwari system continues to be a component of Pakistan’s land administration process with particular reference to the Patwari system in Pakistan. Even though there are new ideas such as land records being computerized to combat fraud, the system is still important for both the landholders and the authorities in the rural areas.
It is expected that the Patwari system will improve as Pakistan progresses. However, at the moment, it is indeed one of the components of the governance structure. This raises the issues of corruption and inefficiency that one needs to tackle in order to establish a transparent and dependable land administration system in Pakistan.
FAQ, S
1. What is the role of a Patwari in Pakistan?
A Patwari is a member of the government tasked with the maintenance of land revenue records at a rural status. Some of these duties are recording ownership of the land, the cultivation of crops, granting
the document referred to as Fard, as well as handling land cases. They are the first to encounter beneficiaries who wish to obtain legal documents for taxation or land sale/lease.
2. How has the Patwari system changed with the introduction of digital land records?
Over the last few years, the transformation of land documents has changed some aspects of the Patwari system. With the introduction of the Punjab Land Records Authority and Sindh’s Land Administration & Revenue Management Information System, land owners are able to view the records on the web rather than consult with a Patwari to obtain Fards and other documents. However, in several places site says that there are still Patwaris who keep paper files because compliance was not followed entirely and therefore there was no incentive to switch to electronic formats.
3. Why is the Patwari system often looked down upon?
Like many government services, the Patwari system has also faced criticisms in its administration. It has been observed that a number of Patwaris charge a bribe for initiating an application for issuing some complete or incompletely filled records. Although these issues have been targeted by introducing certain technological reforms, in desolate areas where Patwaris still operate, so do some evils.
4. In what way can the landowners retrieve any land records in the present-day Pakistan?
Landowners can retrieve land records either by approaching a local Patwari in the countryside, or by accessing land record databases on online websites such as the PLRA portal in Punjab or LARMIS in Sindh. The online portals allow users to check land ownership data and have certified copies of these records sent within the caller’s postal address without requesting to see the Patwari. This online viewing availability is a component of combating the problem of stampede corruption in this sector.
5. What difficulties does the Patwari system confront in contemporary administration?
Currently, one of the most pressing issues regarding the Patwari system is the low level of information technology application among the rural populace. Although step towards the digitalization of the provinces concerning Punjab and Sindh have commenced, actual field is still more of reliance on documents making up the system. Moreover, the association of the system with corruption and the reluctance of Patwaris to adopt change has also impeded the advances in reforms which have been intended to increase transparency and efficiency.