Malik gh nabi cniSrinagar, (CNI NEWS): The All Jammu & Kashmir Patwar Association (AJAKPA) has urged the J&K Government to undertake comprehensive and workload-based rationalisation of Patwar Halqas and Girdawar Circles, saying the existing field-level Revenue structure has failed to keep pace with population growth, administrative expansion and the

growing responsibilities of Patwaris.In an open letter, AJAKPA President G.M. Sofi urged the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister, Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly to address the issue, saying it should be viewed not merely as a departmental demand but as a matter concerning administrative efficiency, public-service delivery and the accuracy of revenue records.The Association has also urged legislators to raise the matter during the forthcoming Assembly session and seek a time-bound commitment from the

Government.According to AJAKPA, the number of districts has increased from six in 1950 to 20, tehsils from 110 to 207, Nayabats from 222 to 523 and villages from 5,595 to 6,895. However, the number of Patwar Halqas has increased only marginally from 1,632 to around 1,663, while the number of Girdawar Circles has remained unchanged at 427.The Association said the manpower shortage has further compounded the situation, with only around 1,100 Patwaris presently working against approximately 1,663 Patwar Halqas. It said many Patwaris are holding additional charge of several villages, with some responsible for six, seven or even eight villages.AJAKPA said the duties of Patwaris have expanded considerably with the introduction of digital land-record initiatives.

Besides traditional revenue functions, field officials are now involved in Digital Crop Survey, Farmer Registry, AgriStack, digitisation and verification of Jamabandis, geo-referencing of cadastral maps, GIS-related work, BhuNaksha, ULPIN, ground verification and rectification of digitised land records.The Association maintained that digitisation has increased the requirement for field-level verification rather than reducing it, as issues concerning land ownership, possession, boundaries, cultivation, shares and mutations require physical verification on the ground.It also expressed concern over repeated migration of

land records between different digital platforms, including RAMTeCH, Web-HALRIS and newer GIS-based systems. AJAKPA said repeated data entry, verification and migration were adding to the workload of field staff and could increase the risk of discrepancies in records relating to ownership, Khasra numbers, land area, shares, mutations and cadastral boundaries.The Association further highlighted infrastructure deficiencies, claiming that nearly 60 per cent of Patwar Halqas are still functioning from rented premises, with Patwaris bearing the rent from their own pockets.

It demanded functional Patwar Khanas equipped with computers, printers, scanners and reliable internet connectivity.AJAKPA has sought constitution of a high-level committee to undertake a scientific workload assessment of every Patwar Halqa and rationalise the territorial structure based on population, number of villages and land parcels, geographical area, terrain, accessibility, number of landholders, mutation workload, digitisation requirements, agricultural intensity, grievances and GIS-related responsibilities.

The Association has also demanded filling of existing vacancies, sanctioning of additional manpower wherever required and simultaneous rationalisation of Girdawar Circles.Among its other demands, AJAKPA has sought specialised training and technical support for GIS, QGIS, AutoCAD, BhuNaksha and other digital platforms. It has also called for adequate time for field verification before digitised records are frozen or migrated and a robust mechanism for auditing and correcting errors arising during digitisation and portal migration.

The Association has also raised several pending service-related matters, including the Grade Pay File, DPC and promotion files. It said the syllabus for the Revenue Services Executive Examination has been pending in the Chief Minister’s office since April 2026, while the Recruitment Rules circulated earlier this year are yet to be finalised.AJAKPA urged the Government to prepare a long-term Human Resource and Administrative Unit Rationalisation Plan for the Revenue Department, keeping in view the requirements of the next 20–25 years, besides expediting pending service and cadre-related matters.The Association said the issue directly concerns the common citizen, as people approach Patwaris for matters relating to land ownership, inheritance, possession, boundaries, cultivation, mutations, certificates and verification.

It appealed to the Government and legislators to ensure that the basic unit of grassroots Revenue administration—the Patwar Halqa—is rationalised in accordance with present-day population, workload, geography and technological requirements.The objective, AJAKPA said, was not merely creation of posts, but establishment of an efficient, adequately staffed and technologically capable field-level Revenue administration capable of delivering accurate, timely and citizen-centric services across Jammu and Kashmir CNI NEWS