Four districts, one Anantnag office and no permanent home

By Mohd Amin Mir

The Regional Directorate of Survey and Land Records, Anantnag, serves four districts of South Kashmir. Yet an institution entrusted with important responsibilities concerning land records, survey and revenue administration continues to function from a rented private building, reportedly on the third floor.

This raises a basic question: can an institution serving such a large geographical and administrative area continue indefinitely without a permanent, purpose-built office?

The issue deserves serious consideration by the concerned authorities. It is not merely about constructing another government building. It concerns the working conditions of officials, the preservation of sensitive land records and, above all, the dignity and convenience of the public.

Four districts, one regional responsibility

The Regional Directorate caters to Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam. Its work involves interaction with revenue officials, landholders, advocates, litigants and members of the public from across these districts.

On designated hearing days, advocates and parties to revenue cases gather at the office. Zimindars, revenue employees and ordinary citizens also visit regularly for different official requirements.

Such a wide public interface requires more than office rooms. It calls for adequate space, accessible facilities, secure record rooms, public waiting areas, hearing arrangements and parking.

An office located on the third floor of a privately owned rented building, particularly along a busy road, does not appear to offer an ideal long-term solution for an institution with these responsibilities.

Parking and accessibility cannot be afterthoughts

One of the most visible difficulties concerns parking.

The office is reportedly situated in front of the old National Highway, where traffic movement is already substantial. On hearing days and during periods of heavy public attendance, vehicles belonging to advocates, parties, revenue officials and visitors have limited parking space.

This can contribute to congestion and inconvenience for commuters and nearby residents.

Parking is not a luxury when an office serves four districts and regularly receives people in connection with revenue cases. It is part of the basic infrastructure required for effective public service delivery.

Accessibility is equally important. Visitors may include elderly landholders, women, advocates and officials travelling considerable distances. For many ordinary citizens, appearing before a revenue authority is already a demanding exercise. An upper-floor office without adequate public facilities can add to that burden.

Land reportedly identified, approval awaited

What makes the matter particularly worthy of attention is the reported identification of land at several locations for establishing a suitable office complex.

However, the necessary approval or final decision to move the proposal forward is reportedly still awaited.

If suitable government land has already been identified, the matter should receive timely administrative attention. The concerned authorities may examine the available sites on the basis of accessibility, connectivity, future expansion, parking, public convenience and administrative requirements.

A decision based on these considerations could provide the foundation for a permanent home for the Directorate.

The objective should not be to select a site merely because land is available. The site should enable the institution to function efficiently and serve the public for decades.

Land records deserve modern infrastructure

Survey and land records are not ordinary administrative files. They form an important foundation of land administration and have a direct bearing on the rights and interests of landholders.

The administration has been pursuing digitisation, modern survey activities and improvements in revenue services. These changes require supporting infrastructure capable of accommodating both traditional records and modern digital systems.

A purpose-built office complex could bring several essential requirements under one roof:

• Proper record rooms for the preservation and management of land records.

• Modern digital infrastructure for survey and land-record management.

• Offices for officers and employees.

• Dedicated hearing rooms for revenue cases.

• Public facilitation and waiting areas.

• Adequate parking and accessible facilities.

• Space for future expansion.

Such planning would help ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with the evolving responsibilities of the Directorate.

Public convenience must remain central

The real test of any government office is not only how efficiently officials work inside it, but also how conveniently the public can access its services.

A landholder appearing in a revenue case may have travelled from a distant village. An advocate may need to attend multiple hearings. A revenue employee may be required to visit the Directorate for official work.

The office should therefore provide an environment that is accessible, orderly and dignified.

A permanent complex, designed with public needs in mind, could make a meaningful difference to the experience of visitors. It could also improve the working environment for officers and employees responsible for handling important revenue matters.

A decision for the future

The Regional Directorate of Survey and Land Records, Anantnag, deserves infrastructure commensurate with its four-district mandate.

The present rented arrangement may have met an immediate administrative requirement. But an institution with expanding responsibilities in survey, land records and revenue administration needs a long-term solution.

Since land has reportedly been identified at various locations, the remaining approval and decision-making process should receive appropriate attention. The administration may consider all technical, financial, administrative and public-convenience aspects before finalising a suitable site.

A permanent office would be more than a government building. It would represent an investment in better land administration, secure record preservation and improved public service delivery.

The concerned authorities may kindly consider the matter on priority and provide the Regional Directorate with the infrastructure it requires to serve the people of four districts effectively.

Four districts. One regional institution. It is time to give it a permanent home.