Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 26: With the Establishment Committee headed by Chief Secretary clearing the proposal to reorganize Settlement Organization with new set of guidelines and duties, the settlement operation, which is presently going at a snail’s pace, and preservation of revenue record are all set to get boost in the State.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that Establishment Committee headed by Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, in its recent meeting, cleared the proposal regarding reorganization of the Settlement Organization and the decision will be shortly placed before the State Cabinet for its approval to go ahead with the restructuring exercise.
Stating that the reorganization would go a long way in giving impetus to settlement operation across the State, they said, “speeding up this exercise is of immense importance as settlement is the primary exercise towards proper management of land record and an important tool to achieve the objective of computerization and preservation of the revenue record”.
Sources disclosed that settlement operation, which was started way back in 1992, has not achieved the desired momentum till date as out of 7000 villages across the State this exercise has been completed only in 1700 villages till date that too with numerous shortcomings mainly because of shortage of manpower and lack of exclusive focus on this aspect.
“This situation is notwithstanding the fact that Central assistance, which was provided to the State under the National Land Record Management Scheme during the past several years and presently accumulated to around Rs 22 crore, could not be utilized for the intending purpose till date”, sources added.
According to the decision of the Establishment Committee, under the reorganized Settlement Organization there will be seven Regional Directors of Survey and Land Reforms. Joint Agrarian Reforms Commissioner, Srinagar will be designated as Regional Director, Survey and Land Reforms for the districts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara.
Similarly, Director Land Records Kashmir will be designated as Regional Director for Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts while as Settlement Officer Srinagar will be Regional Director for Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama Districts.
In Jammu region, Settlement Officer Jammu will be Regional Director of Survey and Land Reforms for Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban while as Agrarian Reforms Commissioner Jammu will be Regional Director for twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Similarly, Joint Settlement Commissioner will be Regional Director for Udhampur and Reasi districts and Director Land Records Jammu will act as Regional Director for Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
For the Leh and Kargil districts, respective Additional Deputy Commissioners will act as Regional Directors to look after the settlement operation. All the Regional Directors would be under the overall control of Settlement Commissioner, which post will be re-designated as Commissioner Settlement and Land Records, sources said.
“The reorganization of the Settlement Organization is imperative not only to give boost to the Settlement Operation in the State but also utilize the services of several officers, who were earlier dealing with agrarian reforms exercise and presently left with negligible work”, sources informed.
They disclosed that Establishment Committee has also cleared the constitution of a society to facilitate the computerization of land record. “The terms and conditions of the society have been finalized and very shortly it will be registered”, sources added.
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