MP Chief Secretary Gives Collectors Seven Days to Get Patwaris Working

The standoff between the Madhya Pradesh Revenue Department and patwaris has intensified over the ownership scheme, with the government giving collectors seven days to ensure that patwaris return to work. Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal has warned that collectors who fail to get work done by patwaris in their districts should be prepared for a transfer to Bhopal.

The dispute, which began over the role of patwaris in the free registration of houses under the Swamitva scheme in villages, has now turned into a statewide protest. Patwaris have gone on collective leave from Thursday to Sunday in protest against dismissals, suspensions and notices issued against them.

The collective leave has started affecting the functioning of tehsils. Work related to mutation, partition and demarcation of land, along with several services covered under the Public Service Guarantee, has been impacted. In Bhopal alone, around 200 patwaris are on leave, affecting revenue-related work.

The government, meanwhile, has adopted a strict position. During a video conference on Thursday, Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal directed all collectors in the state to ensure that revenue work was not affected in their districts and to get work done by patwaris.

The Chief Secretary gave the officers a seven-day deadline and indicated that responsibility would be fixed if the situation did not improve. His message to the collectors was direct: those who are unable to get work done by patwaris in their districts should be ready for a transfer to Bhopal.

During the meeting, some collectors suggested that talks could be held with office-bearers of the Patwari Association to find a middle path. However, the Chief Secretary did not agree with this suggestion. His position made it clear that the government is currently not inclined to yield before the protest and instead wants administrative action to restore normal functioning.

The dispute is linked to the registration process under the Swamitva scheme. According to the Patwari Association, the disagreement concerns the listing of patwaris as executants in the process of free registration of houses in villages.

Patwaris have raised objections over their role and responsibility in this process. As their protest intensified, the government and administration increased action against them. The association chose the route of collective leave in opposition to suspensions, notices and dismissals.

As a result, the matter is no longer limited to the registration process under the Swamitva scheme. It now appears to have turned into a larger confrontation between administrative action and the employees’ protest.

At the same time, the government has also tightened its approach in cases involving alleged irregularities and bribery in revenue work. Information has emerged that prosecution sanction has been given against patwaris in cases from five districts, based on complaints registered with the Lokayukta.

In Satna, the case concerns Santosh Satnami, the then patwari of Dengrahat Halka-17 in Rampur Baghelan. He has been accused of demanding 15 thousand rupees for mutation and partition. He was allegedly caught while accepting five thousand rupees.

In Jabalpur, patwari Sunny Dwivedi has been accused of demanding 15 thousand rupees for the mutation of four bighas of land in Pipariya village of Majhauli in Kundam tehsil.

Cases involving Nagar Surveyor Devendra Sahariya in Narmadapuram and Dharmendra Singh Rathore of Jawar tehsil in Sehore have also come to light. They involve allegations of demanding a bribe of 10 thousand rupees.

In Bhopal, Kolar area patwari Mangalesh Khandelwal has been accused of taking eight thousand rupees in exchange for a fake mutation and lease renewal.

After the action to grant prosecution sanction in these cases, the Revenue Department has sought to send a message that accountability and alleged corruption in revenue-related matters will be dealt with strictly. However, the allegations should be distinguished from any final judicial conclusion.

The action against patwaris has also been seen in Gwalior and Jabalpur. In Gwalior, 19 patwaris were suspended on Thursday. In protest against the suspensions, patwaris announced that they would deposit their work bags and begin a pen-down strike from Friday.

In Jabalpur, 17 patwaris have been suspended. Action has also been taken to stop two increments each of two patwaris. Apart from this, show-cause notices have been issued to 164 patwaris.

These actions have further increased anger among patwari organisations. Their collective leave across the state has already begun to affect the work carried out at tehsils, while the administration is under pressure to meet the seven-day deadline set by the Chief Secretary.

The continuing standoff is directly affecting ordinary people. Those visiting tehsil offices for land mutation, partition and demarcation may face difficulties. Work that is supposed to be completed within fixed timelines under the Public Service Guarantee may also be affected.

On one side, the government is showing firmness to keep the revenue system functioning smoothly and to act against alleged irregularities. On the other, patwaris remain firm in their protest over their demands and the dispute related to their role and working process.

The key question now is whether the administration will be able to restore normal work within the seven-day deadline or whether the confrontation will deepen. The government’s strict position and the patwaris’ protest have brought the dispute into the open, with revenue work in several areas already facing disruption.

For the people whose land-related applications are pending in government offices, the immediate concern is when their files will move forward. The contest is now between the government’s warning of action and the patwaris’ collective protest. The question remains whether the government’s firmness will prevail or whether the patwaris’ movement will continue.