From J&K’s Pathwaris: Humble appeal to Chief Minister, BJP State President and MLAs

By: Mohd Amin Mir

The ongoing session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is an appropriate time to draw attention to an issue concerning the Patwari cadre of the Revenue Department: the long-pending matter of Grade Pay.

This is a humble appeal to the Chief Minister, the BJP State President, Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly to kindly ascertain the present status of the issue and consider whether it can be taken forward through the appropriate Government mechanism.

The matter assumes added importance at a time when Patwaris across Jammu and Kashmir are shouldering additional responsibilities under AgriStack and the Digital Crop Survey, alongside their regular revenue duties.

From traditional records to digital governance

The role of the Patwari has changed considerably.

The Patwari is no longer confined to maintaining traditional revenue records and carrying out routine field duties. The cadre is now an important part of the shift from paper-based administration to digital revenue governance.

AgriStack, Digital Crop Survey, digitisation of land records and verification of ownership particulars have added new responsibilities to a job that has always depended heavily on field-level knowledge.

Behind every digital entry, however, there is a person who has to verify the information on the ground.

A computer can store the data, but it cannot visit a field, examine a disputed record, speak to a landholder or understand the circumstances behind a discrepancy. That responsibility still rests with the field employee.

This is why the Patwari remains an important link between technology, revenue records and the common citizen.

The workload has changed, not disappeared

Digitalisation may make administration more efficient, but it does not necessarily reduce the work at the field level.

Old records may contain discrepancies. Ownership may have changed through inheritance. Several co-sharers may be recorded under one survey number. Names may differ between documents, or the situation on the ground may not correspond with an old record.

Such matters require experience, knowledge of revenue records and careful verification in the field.

Patwaris are dealing with these new requirements while continuing their traditional responsibilities relating to Jamabandis, mutations, Girdawari, field verification and other revenue work.

The Grade Pay issue deserves attention

It is in this context that the long-standing issue of Grade Pay of Patwaris deserves a fresh look.

The demand should not be seen merely as a request for higher pay. Pay structure is also a reflection of the responsibilities attached to a post.

When the nature of a job evolves and additional technical and field responsibilities are assigned to its employees, it is reasonable for their service conditions to be reviewed as well.

The Patwari cadre has adapted to a rapidly changing system of revenue administration. The request, therefore, is simply that the Government examine the Grade Pay issue on its merits and in accordance with the applicable rules, service conditions and financial procedures.

A matter for the Assembly

The present Assembly session provides an opportunity for elected representatives to seek a clear factual update.

The Chief Minister and concerned Ministers may kindly indicate where the Grade Pay proposal presently stands, what examination it has undergone and what, if any, further steps are required for its consideration.

Members of the Legislative Assembly can also play a useful role by raising the matter with the concerned authorities and seeking clarity on behalf of the employees.

For Patwaris, even a clear statement about the present status of the issue would help remove uncertainty.

Technology still depends on people

Jammu and Kashmir is moving towards increasingly digital governance, and that transition is both welcome and necessary.

But the quality of a digital system ultimately depends on the quality of the information that enters it.

AgriStack and the Digital Crop Survey illustrate this clearly. The final database is only as reliable as the information collected, verified and recorded at the field level.

The Patwari should therefore not be viewed simply as the person entering information into a digital system. The Patwari is often the person who determines whether that information corresponds with the revenue record and with the reality on the ground.

A request for consideration

This appeal is not intended as a confrontation between employees and the administration.

It is a request for the issue to be examined and for the cadre to be given a clear understanding of where its long-standing Grade Pay matter stands.

Patwaris have continued to perform their regular responsibilities while adapting to significant changes in the Revenue Department. At a time when they are also deeply involved in AgriStack and Digital Crop Survey assignments, their legitimate service-related concerns deserve to be heard.

If the proposal is found admissible under the applicable norms, the Government may kindly take the necessary steps towards its resolution.

A final appeal

The Patwari stands at the point where Government policy meets the village, the farmer and the landholder.

As Jammu and Kashmir moves towards a modern and technology-enabled Revenue Department, the people carrying that transformation to the ground should also feel that their legitimate concerns are being considered.

My humble appeal to the Chief Minister, BJP State President, Ministers and Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is therefore simple:

Kindly ascertain the present position of the Grade Pay issue of Patwaris, examine it on its merits and, wherever possible under the applicable rules, help take the matter towards a resolution.

The success of digital governance depends not only on the technology behind the system, but also on the people working on the ground.

The Patwari is one of them.