MAILSI:
Land transfer operations have been at a standstill in dozens of villages in Tehsil Mailsi for several months, plunging citizens into serious financial difficulties and administrative impasse.
Allegations of corruption, forgery and mismanagement within the local land registry office have plunged the tax system into deep crisis, prompting widespread calls for government intervention.
According to official figures from the Punjab Revenue Department, Tehsil Mailsi comprises 309 administrative villages divided into nine revenue zones. Of these, the registers of 272 villages were digitized between 2017 and 2018, while 37 villages remain outside the computerized system.
Until the beginning of this year, land transfers in these areas were carried out manually. However, an official notification issued in April suspended all manual transactions in 31 of these villages, ordering that they be digitized immediately.
Six months later, the process remains incomplete, causing manual and online transfers to stop completely.
Areas such as Tibba Sultanpur, Muradabad, Jalla Jeem, Bahadur Baloch and Karampur were particularly affected, where even obtaining a basic land ownership certificate became impossible.
This administrative paralysis deprived the provincial government of millions of dollars in expected revenue from transfer fees.
Local landowners and farmers say they are trapped in a financial limbo. “We have signed agreements and made partial payments for the purchase of land, but the transfers cannot be finalized,” said farmer Muhammad Shahid.
“Now sellers are backing down to demand higher prices, creating conflicts and losses.” Others, including Amir Hasan and Muhammad Bilal, shared similar frustrations.
Sources say some Land Record Office officials are deliberately prioritizing specific clients, updating certain ‘khewats’ (land records) for preferential reasons. Meanwhile, some patwaris (revenue employees) would collect taxes in cash without depositing them into the public exchequer, instead pocketing the money. Reports of fake bank challans, counterfeit stamps and falsification of records have further increased public distrust in the system.
In Mailsi town alone, thousands of pending land transfers remain pending – some for several years – while cases in villages like Dhararwan and Muradabad are also awaiting approval.
Insiders attribute the delays to corruption involving officials who allegedly embezzled government taxes, leaving transfers incomplete.
Some inspection teams were also suspected of collusion with tax authorities in exchange for financial favors, carrying out only superficial examinations rather than real audits.
Asim Hashmi, service manager at Mailsi Land Registry Office, said staff are “actively processing available transfers”, but added that “completely digitizing all villages requires additional time due to staff shortages”.
Meanwhile, local patwaris have denied the allegations of misconduct, calling them “baseless and politically motivated”.
Mailsi Deputy Commissioner Rana Zohaib Kareem, however, confirmed that an investigation had been launched. “If officials are found involved in professional misconduct, strict legal action will follow,” assured the CA.
