The land ministry has directed all the divisional commissioners to take stern measures to check corruption and public suffering in land offices.
In a fresh move, it has asked the senior-most field administrators to take 'due action' against land administration officials and employees allegedly involved in corruption and irregularities as the ministry's similar directives to all the 64 deputy commissioners issued about two months and a half ago have fallen flat, officials said.
The land secretary, Md Mokhlesur Rahman, in a demi-official letter sent to all the seven divisional commissioners on July 23 said that the people going to field-level land offices, especially union land offices and offices of assistant commissioner (land), for different purposes were being denied the expected service and harassed in many ways.
'This has raised questions about the transparency of the government's revenue administration in many cases,' the letter says.
The secretary said that the land minister's repeated directives at coordination meetings for making the field offices hassle-free and service-oriented were not reflected in activities of land offices on the ground.
On April 13, 2011, the land ministry directed all the deputy commissioners to launch a crackdown on 'dishonest land officials/employees' at grass roots to check public sufferings.
The directive came in the wake of widespread allegations of corruption and irregularities against officials and employees in land offices and also officers of assistant commissioners (land) in upazilas.
In the latest letter, the secretary said that the scenario in many districts had remained unchanged even after his directives that had been issued in April to the deputy commissioners to take action against 'dishonest land officials/employees.'
It was expected of deputy commissioners, who also work as district collectors, that they should take action against 'dishonest officials/employees' to streamline the land administration and to ensure smooth services to the public, according to the secretary.
It has been alleged that land officials were realising money beyond the fees set by the government for services such as land registration and mutation, causing immense sufferings to clients.
'The negative pictures of land offices as presented in electronic and print media are damaging the image of the land administration,' says the letter addressed to the divisional commissioners.
Mokhlesur reminded the commissioners that they were the senior-most officials at the divisional level and were responsible for establishing an efficient, transparent and accountable land administration.
He asked them to ensure regular inspections at the land offices by additional deputy commissioners (revenue) and assistant commissioners (land) under their respective jurisdiction.
Source : New Age
