Over 10,000 applications missing from circle offices

Maintenance of records in revenue circle offices in Kamrup (M) come under question

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 4: All is not well in the revenue circle offices (COs) in Kamrup(M) district. Around 10,000 applications from landless people seeking land in the district have allegedly gone missing from the revenue circle offices. The missing of such a large number applications makes a question mark hangs over the safety of important land records and files in the offices.

There is literally no systematic chain for getting works done in the revenue circle offices where officials seem to be very choosy for doing land-related works. Works of only politicians or influential persons, who can beat any system, are done fast, if need be, by bending rules. The works of commoners, on the other, remain pending for years and on.

Talking to this reporter on Wednesday, Guwahati Mati Patta Sangram Samiti (GMPSS) president Prabinjyati Kalita said: “Important land-related files, letters and other documents, including applications of the general public, going missing from the revenue circle offices in Kamrup (M) is a common phenomenon. In the past few years during the Congress regime as many as 35,000 landless people did apply for land in Kamrup (M) district.

However, over 10,000 of the applications have gone missing, maybe, since they’re commoners. What’s strange is that the revenue offices in the district have no records of the missing files. The fact remains that they never register such applications, nor do they issue any receipts of applications.”

Kalita further said: “The revenue circle offices in the district are very choosy in doing works. They do works of politicians or influential people, who can beat any system, very fast. No files move from one table to another when money is not spent.”

What is seen in the Guwahati Revenue Circle office in Kamrup (M) district is that there is no system of common registration of applications being received from the public. The public go to the tables where their works can be done on their own and get their files moved. Since there is no system for maintaining a register on application received the risk of such applications going missing is very high.