A hand-folded appeal for the technical grade pay of Patwaris

As Independence Day approaches, Jammu & Kashmir’s Patwaris renew their humble appeal for recognition of the technical nature and growing responsibilities of their service

By: A group of Pathwaris

There is a quiet expectation among the Patwaris of Jammu and Kashmir: an expectation that has survived months and years of waiting, repeated representations and assurances. It has neither turned into agitation nor disappeared into silence. It has simply remained alive, sustained by the belief that a legitimate demand will, sooner or later, receive the attention it deserves.

Today, as Patwaris across Jammu & Kashmir remain deeply engaged with the AgriStack assignment, working to meet targets and fulfil an important government responsibility, they continue to look towards the administration with one simple hope: that their long-pending demand for technical grade pay will receive sympathetic and favourable consideration. The appeal is being made with folded hands, not confrontation—with a plea for recognition, fairness and justice.

More than a designation

The office of the Patwari has traditionally occupied a crucial position in the revenue administration of Jammu and Kashmir. At the grassroots, the Patwari remains closely connected with land records, field verification, cultivation details, revenue matters and responsibilities that directly affect the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens.

But the nature of the job has changed considerably. The modern Patwari is no longer confined to maintaining traditional registers and preparing field reports. Revenue administration is undergoing rapid digitisation; land records are being transformed into digital databases; and field-level information is increasingly collected, verified, reconciled and uploaded through technology-driven platforms. At the same time, traditional revenue responsibilities remain firmly in place.

The result is a job that combines field responsibilities, revenue administration, public interface and increasingly technical digital work. Expectations have increased. Workloads have increased. Technical requirements have increased. The Patwari community therefore believes that the system of remuneration and professional recognition should evolve accordingly.

AgriStack: another test of commitment

The ongoing AgriStack assignment offers a clear illustration of this changing nature of field-level government work. Patwaris are visiting fields, verifying information, collecting and checking data, addressing technical issues and working through digital platforms, often under demanding timelines and beyond conventional working hours.

They understand that agricultural databases and digital records can have long-term implications for farmers and public service delivery. Despite technical difficulties and workload pressures, the cadre has continued to discharge its responsibilities. Government employees are expected to perform their duties, and Patwaris have never shied away from that responsibility.

But there is an important distinction between performing a duty and having the nature of that duty properly recognised. The demand for technical grade pay is not merely a request for an additional financial benefit because of the AgriStack assignment. Rather, AgriStack is another example of how the responsibilities attached to the Patwari post have become increasingly technical and demanding.

Technical work deserves technical recognition

The demand, therefore, needs to be viewed in the broader context of the evolution of the profession. A job involving land records, digital databases, field verification, geographical information, online platforms, data accuracy and revenue administration requires knowledge, training and accountability. Errors in revenue records can have serious consequences for citizens and may sometimes become the source of prolonged disputes.

The responsibility is consequently not merely clerical. It requires field knowledge, technical understanding, familiarity with revenue procedures and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing digital systems. Technical grade pay, from the Patwaris’ perspective, represents recognition of this changing character of their service.

It is also a matter of professional dignity. For an employee who spends long hours in the field, deals directly with the public, works under deadlines and remains accountable for the accuracy of official records, recognition can have an importance beyond the figure appearing on a salary statement.

A long wait

It is understood among the Patwari community that the matter concerning technical grade pay is pending consideration at the level of the Finance Ministry. That knowledge has itself become part of the long wait. The hope remains that the demand will be examined sympathetically and brought to its logical conclusion.

A favourable decision would not merely change a figure in a salary statement. It would send a message to thousands of employees working at the grassroots that the changing nature of their responsibilities has been noticed and appreciated.

The fourteenth moon

There is a beautiful Kashmiri expression associated with anticipation: waiting for the fourteenth moon, when the moon approaches fullness and darkness begins to retreat. For the Patwaris, the metaphor seems particularly appropriate.

They have waited through one phase after another. Representations have been made, expectations have risen and fallen, yet hope has remained.

As another Independence Day approaches, the Patwaris have another reason to hope. August 15 is a day of national pride—a reminder of freedom, sacrifice, service and the responsibilities of citizenship. For the Patwaris of Jammu and Kashmir, it carries an additional personal hope: could this be the occasion when their long-pending demand finally receives favourable consideration?

No employee can demand that an administrative decision be announced on a particular day. Such decisions must follow due process, financial scrutiny and established procedures. But employees can certainly hope. And the Patwaris are hoping.

Recognition beyond money

It would be simplistic to reduce the demand to monetary terms. Financial benefits matter, particularly when responsibilities and living costs continue to rise, but the deeper issue is professional recognition.

When the technical character of a post is acknowledged, it strengthens morale. The Patwari wants to know that the changing responsibilities associated with digitisation, data management and technology-driven revenue administration have not gone unnoticed.

The appeal is therefore as much about dignity and recognition as it is about financial entitlement.

A humble appeal to the leadership

With utmost respect, the Patwari community places its hope before the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir: consider the long-pending demand for technical grade pay sympathetically; recognise the evolving nature of the Patwari’s responsibilities; appreciate the contribution of those working at the grassroots of administration; and, if the matter is presently under consideration at the appropriate financial level, facilitate its early and favourable resolution in accordance with the rules and established procedure.

The Patwaris are not asking for recognition without responsibility. They are already carrying responsibility. They are not asking to be excused from difficult assignments. They are performing them. They are asking only that the nature of their work be properly acknowledged.

As they work on AgriStack, they continue to serve farmers and citizens and maintain the machinery of grassroots revenue administration. Their appeal is simply that their own legitimate expectation should not remain forgotten.

Perhaps this Independence Day can bring a new beginning. Perhaps the long wait can finally move towards a conclusion. Perhaps the fourteenth moon can bring light to a community that has continued to work through the darkness of uncertainty.

The Patwaris do not seek sympathy for doing their duty. They seek recognition for the responsibility they shoulder. They seek fair and sympathetic consideration of their demand for technical grade pay. And, above all, they seek to be heard.

With folded hands, therefore, this humble appeal is placed before the administration: let recognition follow responsibility, let the long wait move towards an end, and let the fourteenth moon rise with good news.