Badal asks DCs to hold quarterly meeting with nambardars

Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal asked the Revenue Department to issue detailed guidelines instructing the Deputy Commissioners to hold quarterly meetings.

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday asked the Revenue Department to issue detailed guidelines instructing the Deputy Commissioners to hold quarterly meetings with `Nambardars` to solicit their participation in the development policies and programmes.

A decision to this effect was taken by Badal in a meeting with a deputation of Punjab Nambardar Union led by its President Gurpal Singh Samra here. The Chief Minister assured the Nambardars (lower level revenue officials at villages) that they would be given due representation in the District Grievances Committees so that the district administration could be richly benefited by their vast experience at the grass roots level. He asked Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia to have one Nambardar each on the Revenue committees to be constituted at the district and tehsil level related to the revenue matters. Badal also asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue to coordinate with Deputy Commissioners for ensuring proper support and cooperation from the Revenue officials posted in field especially the Patwaris to Nambardars for helping the state in various matters. The Chief Minister, as per an official release, asked the Finance Department to immediately release the pending payment of honorarium to the Nambardars. Badal asked the Revenue department to take up the matter with DCs for working out modalities to allot some space if available or an office in tehsil premises to ensure proper atmosphere to Nambardars for discharging their duties. Responding to various issues raised by the members of the delegation, Majithia assured the Chief Minister that he would personally take up the matter with Finance Minister to ensure prompt release of the revised payment of honorarium to the Nambardars. He also apprised the Chief Minister that he would sort out the issue to provide official accommodation to the Nambardars at tehsil level. PTI