Taking a strict step to root out corruption from the revenue department, the Haryana government has identified 370 patwaris (revenue officials) and 170 middlemen accused of indulging in bribery and misconduct. As per a notice issued by the the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Anurag Rastogi has instructed all deputy commissioners to take strict action against the identified individuals and submit a report to the government within 15 days. The government’s confidential report, compiled with inputs from intelligence agencies accessed by TDG, outlines the modus operandi of the accused patwaris and their associates. The report also details bribe amounts demanded for various routine tasks such as land mutation, demarcation, record rectification, and issuing land maps.
The highest number of tainted patwaris were reported in Kaithal (46), followed by Sonipat (41) and Mahendragarh (36). While, Gurgaon district led in terms of middlemen, with 26 identified, while Mahendragarh reported 20, and Palwal, Rewari, and Sonipat accounted for 15 each. As per the orders the Patwaries and their assistants harass the public by repeatedly raising objections to delay routine work unless bribes were paid. For instance, a patwari posted at Ambala Cantt allegedly harassed citizens for land mutation and other tasks, with bribes being collected by a local middleman. As per the letter the bribe rates varied across districts, with Gurgaon emerging as the costliest, where identified patwaris charged ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 for land mutation and related tasks. In contrast, patwarias in Faridabad charged ₹500 to ₹700 to locate old revenue files.
The report suggests that most tainted officials are posted in rural areas, where land dealings are more frequent. However, high-value corruption cases were also reported in urbanized regions. Some patwaris allegedly tampered with land records, while others left critical tasks pending for months in the absence of bribes. The revenue department currently has 1,378 patwaris, with 1,313 positions vacant. However, the shortage is expected to be addressed once 2,600 newly recruited patwaris complete their training.
Sources reveal that the state CID conducted extensive fieldwork to prepare the list of corrupt officials. Apart from naming the patwaris and middlemen, the report includes their caste, tenure, mobile numbers, and even native villages, offering granular details to aid the crackdown. “The common man often suffers due to the corrupt practices of patwaris, which tarnishes the government’s image. This decisive action aims to rebuild public trust,” reads the letter written by Rastogi to the deputy commissioners.
