The Hindu Business Line : Minister stresses on need to strengthen village revenue system in AP

THE abolition of the old revenue system by the NTR Government during the eighties was a rather hasty step and the maintenance of land records in villages has since been affected badly as a result, according to the Revenue Minister, Mr D. Prasada Rao.

At a press meet here on Sunday, his first after assuming office, he said in retrospect the abolition of the system of "karanam and munsiff'' at the village level was not a very wise step. The Government had failed to develop a suitable alternative to it and therefore there was a need to strengthen the system at the village level to maintain land records properly and also to monitor implementation of government programmes.

The Minister expressed apprehensions that if the present system continued for some more years, there would be no land records to ascertain the land ownership and might would become right. He said that revenue officials at all levels felt the need to tone up administration at village level for keeping land records and also to get reliable information.

He said that karanams and munsifs had provided efficient administration at village level for several decades even though the Government paid very little to them. "They actually were working for a pittance,'' he said. To a question whether the Government would revive the old system, he said there was no such move but steps would have to be taken to tone up the system.

Stating that there were 22,000 villages in the State, he felt that it would be burdensome to appoint regular employees as village officers. The Government was weighing various options to tone up administration at village level, he added.

He said that the Congress Government would not increase taxes but augment its revenue through effective collection.

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