UP government suspends five revenue officers over delays in pending revenue cases

Kanchan Verma, Commissioner and Secretary of the Board of Revenue, said the review found that the pace of disposal by some officers was unsatisfactory. Delays and negligence were observed despite the government's emphasis on timely disposal.

Lucknow, September 3: Taking a strict view of negligence and delays in the disposal of pending cases in revenue courts, the Yogi government has suspended 4 Tehsildars and 1 Naib Tehsildar. Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Board of Revenue has not only suspended the 5 officers but has also initiated disciplinary proceedings against them.Recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted a high-level review of pending cases in revenue courts across the state. During the review, he directed officials to ensure the disposal of revenue cases within the prescribed timeline and warned that negligence at any level would not be tolerated. He had also made it clear that strict action would be taken against officials found responsible for delays. The latest action by the Board of Revenue follows these directions. Kanchan Verma, Commissioner and Secretary of the Board of Revenue, stated that a detailed court-wise and officer-wise review of cases filed under Section 34 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006 was conducted across all revenue courts in the state following the Chief Minister’s instructions.The review revealed that the pace of disposal of pending cases by certain officers was unsatisfactory. Despite the government's emphasis on timely disposal, delays and negligence were observed in several cases. Consequently, the Board suspended four Tehsildars and one Naib Tehsildar. These include Tehsildar Pawan Kumar Singh, then in charge Tehsildar, Patti, district Pratapgarh, and presently Tehsildar, Prayagraj; Tehsildar Atul Harsh, Tehsil Ballia; Tehsildar Hareram Yadav, then Naib Tehsildar, Tehsil Dhanghata, and presently Tehsildar, Gonda; Tehsildar Anand Ojha, Tehsil Khalilabad, Sant Kabir Nagar; and Naib Tehsildar Vivek Kumar Singh, Tehsil Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow.The Board of Revenue Secretary stated that, along with the suspension of the five officers, the process of initiating disciplinary proceedings under the relevant rules has also begun. Accountability will be fixed in each case, and further action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.The Board emphasized that this is not a one-time action. Monitoring of pending revenue cases will continue on a regular basis, and the performance of officials will be reviewed periodically. Wherever delays, negligence or indifference in disposing of cases within the prescribed timeframe are found, appropriate punitive action will be taken in accordance with the rules.The Board reiterated that no laxity in the disposal of pending cases in revenue courts will be tolerated. Officials will be required to ensure accountability in the discharge of their responsibilities so that farmers and ordinary citizens receive timely, transparent and accessible justice.