Srinagar, Oct 2: Getting land in this City –shrinking fast at the hands of urbanization –could still be comparatively easy but access to Patwari, the official who looks after land records is turning messier with each passing day as they literally play hide-and-seek with those who aspire to meet them.
 As a result the people are often left high and dry and their assignments remain pending while the administration has been seemingly sleeping over the issue.

NO PROPER OFFICE
 Most of the Patwaris don’t operate from proper office where a signboard on public display would inform the visitors about their operations and presence.
 They mostly operate from makeshift offices including some residential houses, locating address of which is as difficult as attempting to do a postman’s job    in some unknown City.

MAKESHIFT OPERATIONS
 Some Patwaris for the City outskirts operate from residential houses far away from main roads or marketplaces. This puts the people who aspire to approach them to inconvenience.
 “Why should we visit somebody’s residence for official work that too in a conservative society like ours?” argued a woman who finally gave up looking for Patwari when she got to know that he operates from a solitary residential house.

HIDE-AND-SEEK INSTINCT
 For those who manage getting access to mobile phone numbers of Patwaris too are not always lucky. In most of the cases you keep calling him and he doesn’t respond.
 Same inconvenience was faced by a man aspiring to contact Patwari for Rawalpora area in south City. “For over a week I tried to call him on phone but he never responded. Finally when he picked up the phone he gave a silly argument that he was tense over his transfer and so didn’t respond,” said a complainant.
 For Patwari of Kanipora area, he does not reveal his office address. This correspondent pretending to be an aspirant requested the official to reveal his office whereabouts but the reply looked tricky. “Once you come to Kanipora, give me a call,” he replied but declined to give the address.
 Those who have followed his instructions complained of “unending inconvenience”. Mushtaq Ahmed shares an anecdote:  After calling several times the Patwari who has in his jurisdiction Kanipora area, asked me to “meet me at Chadura.”
 “When I went to Chadura, I did not find him there. I again called him on phone and after several rings he picked up the phone informing me that he could meet me at Hyderpora.
 “I immediately hired an auto rickshaw and reached Hyderpora. The person was not there. I again rang up only to be informed that he was at Kanipora near auto stand. I reached there but again to my dismay he was not there.”
 “I again rang him up. His words were jarring: ‘It is now late. I cannot meet you. I have left the place. Come some other day,’ he ordered,” Mushtaq recapped.

REMEDIAL MEASURES
 Observers said the district administration should direct the Patwaris to operate from proper offices and keep timings dedicated for public dealings.
 “The DDC should personally monitor their functioning,” said a retired official. 

PATWARIS SPEAK
 A group of Patwaris denied the public complaints. The officials, however, said they have to work in the field adding that the government has failed to give them proper office space. “Moreover we have been doing the job the same way for decades… Why should we change our style?” they argued.
 And then they accused higher ups in the administration of playing mischief.  “Babus who forcibly rule us do not know the problems we confront. We have many pending issues,” they said.

DDC ASSURES ACTION
 District Development Commissioner Srinagar, Baseer Ahmed Khan said the problem would be seriously looked into. “They are bound to handle public dealings properly and be stationed at offices,” the DDC said adding the matter would be seriously looked into.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 2 Oct 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 2 Oct 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 3 Oct 2012 00:00:00 IST