PLRA, Nadra sign accord 150-year-old Patwar culture has buried now, claims Shahbaz

Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) and National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) have signed an agreement, here on Wednesday to provide the services of obtaining ownership deeds of public properties at Nadra's 3700 E-Sahulat Centers to the people.
DG Punjab Land Record Authority Cap Zafar Iqbal(retd) and Chairman Nadra Mobeen Usman signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Addressing the ceremony, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif termed the agreement as a welcome step adding that it would facilitate 55 million farmers of the province. "Today is a historic moment with regard to the prosperity of the farming community as it will save time and ensure transparency through dexterous use of information technology," he said.
He said, when we came to power in 2008, the project was moved forward speedily. According to him, the project was completed with the collective efforts and 23,000 villages were computerized. This project is a milestone initiative and with its completion, the 150-year old Patwar culture has buried to a large extent. We have ensured that no Patwar culture could ever encumber the new system. As many as 450 employees which succeeded in getting jobs through bribery were sent to homes and the responsible persons were put behind the bars.
Shahbaz further said the world is not hundred percent corruption-free and it can be found in countries like Denmark which are known as transparent-states in the world. They, however, have minimized corruption with effective measures. "We have also adopted the policy of zero-tolerance against corruption and effective steps have been taken against it," he said, adding: "The new system has been made transparent with tremendous efforts and no such complaints of corruption are received now which were lodged six months earlier. An intelligence wing has also been set up in Punjab Land Record Authority which is working in an organized manner there."
He said the international moot of the World Bank, held in Washington with 126 countries in attendance, termed this project as number one as well as the role model initiative for others. He said that Punjab government is also giving technical assistance to other provinces and Azad Kashmir government for implementation of this project, there.
Sharif said that Pakistan Muslim League-N government has adopted unprecedented steps for the development of agriculture sector. Farmers are getting fertilizers at half the price for the last three years while the Punjab government is also giving subsidy to the tune of billions of rupees to the electricity-run tube wells. It is for the first time that government is giving interest-free loans to small farmers.
Replying to the questions of media persons, Shahbaz said that directions have been issued for the computerization of urban lands and work will be speedily done over it. The Sessions Court incident is painful and I have taken notice of it. A meeting would be held soon about it and strict action will be initiated against the persons responsible.
He said that they have transparently served the people and therefore, they should not be afraid of anything. God forbids, if any corruption is done somewhere, then we should not protect anybody and, rather, brings them to the task. He said that 450 employees of Punjab Land Record Authority, who got jobs by greasing the palms, were removed from their posts. Similarly, 70 billion rupees have been saved in Saaf Pani Project. Likewise, cases have been filed against the persons responsible for 40 crore rupees' embezzlement in Punjab Power Development Company.
On the other side, he said the KPK government established accountability bureau with much fanfare but it is non-functional. Different stories of corruption are being revealed there but we are proud of our system of self-accountability. An effective self-accountability system has been developed in Punjab and now, no one can fool anybody.
Replaying to a question, the Chief Minister said that it is the responsibility of NAB to trace out corruption; bring the corrupt elements to task and it has to play its role. NAB is active in Punjab but it is not so active in other provinces and whose is the responsible for this? He said that accountability should be indiscriminate and based on justice. We have to promote this culture.
About responsibility of the institutions, he said that all the institutions have to fulfil their obligations while remaining within the constitutional limits. Parliament is a supreme institution having representation of four provinces and its powers are fully explained in the constitution. Executive has to fulfil its duties while the courts are required to play their role, he said.
Replying to another question, he said that every possible step has been taken to protect the sugarcane farmers. Orders have been issued to arrest the sugar mill owner found responsible for exploiting the sugarcane farmers but he has run away to some other province. We will bring this sugar mill owner to the court of law, he added.
When asked about the public-hanging of the murderer in wake of Zainab murder case, he said that apex courts have been requested to guide in this regard.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and DG Punjab Land Record Authority Zafar Iqbal also spoke on the occasion. Revenue Minister Ata Manika, Dr Umar Saif, Chief Secretary, Chairman PLRA Rana Babar Hussain and high officials of Punjab government as well as Nadra, were also present on the occasion.