Revenue department crippled by staff crunch: CAG

The revenue department,which is entrusted with the crucial tasks of land management and recovery of land revenue,has just about 6,500 employees (as on March 31,2011),against the total sanctioned strength of over 11,000.

“The shortage of manpower ranged between 14 to 100 per cent in different categories of staff under four HoDs (heads of department) under the revenue minister,” the CAG noted in its report.

The vacancies are the highest among Class III employees that include deputy mamlatdars,clerks,surveyors,typists and talatis. For instance,there are over 2,100 vacant posts of talatis and 500 of deputy mamlatdars in the office of principal secretary,revenue department. Even among Class I officers (deputy collectors),there are close to 300 vacancies in the department.

“In many cases,the department and office heads attributed the non-achievement of targets to shortage of manpower,” the CAG noted,adding that the shortages were “adversely” affecting the performance of the department which also looks after registration of land documents,survey,measurement and documentation of land records as well as adjudication of land disputes and levy of stamp duty,etc.

The CAG stated that the “staff shortage” and heavy workload was also causing delays in providing services to common people at e-Dhara centres (one of the e-governance projects of the government).

Out of the 30,000 applications for changes in land records,delays ranging as high as six months were noticed in over 21,000 applications.

Similarly,survey work in important towns and cities,which was being planned every year since 2007-08,is yet to begin.