OUR STAFF REPORTER MANDI BAHAUDDIN - District population was taken aback few months ago when under Lahore high Court Chief Justice directions, the Revenue Department launched a probe into embezzlements done by Revenue Patwaris in the district. This disclosure came to light that Patwaris usurped government fees worth Rs80 million. But it was more sensational disclosure by local MPA Tariq Mehmood Sahi, some days back, that Revenue Patwaris digested Rs800 million during last one decade in all the three tehsils i.e., Mandi Bahauddin, Malikwal and Phalia. The MPA further claimed that one revenue Patwari of Sohawa Bolani circle namely Raja Aman Ullah introduced this sort of corruption and a huge sum of Rs130 million stand against his name and more surprising fact was that Revenue Officers of the Tehsil Mandi Bahauddin, despite knowing the fact verified his personal mutations and supported him to dispose off his whole property before fleeing Pakistan forever. When this scribe witnessed documents of embezzlements, it came to know that revenue Patwaris prepared fake National Bank of Pakistan stamps in 50 per cent cases and adopt another trick in rest of the bank receipts. For instance, they deposited Rs1800 fee in the bank and added one zero or two zeros in certain cases and showed that they have deposited Rs18,000 or Rs180,000 as fee. The District Account Office has verified hundreds of such receipts so far. Historically, first scandal of District Revenue Department came to light in 2004 when copies of 6400 mutations were stolen. Later, the record was recovered by a revenue official Mohammad Nawaz, who has been removed by service now some weeks ago after LHC direction. The revenue record of 6400 mutations is still pending with city police and the Revenue Department has failed to collect it through court and ultimately the public was facing troubles. The revenue Patwari of circle Wasoo Imtiaz Sahi was suspended in this case but was restored afterwards. The revenue record of circle Wasoo was set ablaze by unknown persons during the month of May this year to conceal huge embezzlements circle Patwari Mohammad Iqbal and Pindi Bahauddin circle were suspended in this case and latter was restored after inquiry. In the meanwhile, one citizen Ahmed Ali Waris moved LHC and LHC Chief Justice had summoned Mandi Bahauddin revenue officials on September 26. District Additional Collector Shahid Zaman Luk, when asked to comment, said, upon LHC CJ directions, Rs4.5 million from revenue Patwaris of Mandi Bahauddin Tehsil had been recovered, Rs2.5 million from Tehsil Malikwal Patwaris and Rs4 million from Tehsil Phalia Patwaris and more efforts are underway to ensure 100 per cent recovery. To a question, he said that some 9 revenue Patwaris have been suspended and two of them have been trailed under PEEDA Act. He also informed that under another inquiry, Gujranwala Additional Commissioner had recommended anti-corruption cases against Revenue Officer Arif Anjum, Gardawar Mohammad Anayat for verifying wrong mutations. When asked for action against local revenue officers, who did not take any notice of huge embezzlements in the past, he said, all such ROs played role silent supporters during the embezzlement process and observed criminal negligence. Now, it is in the air that the Revenue Department has tried to save its skin by suspending some Patwaris and leaving blue-eyed revenue officers, who are serving in their home districts despite Board of Revenue open directions that no RO can serve in his home district. Public and citizen circles have appealed to Lahore High Court Chief Justice to continue the proceedings till the recovery of last penny of the government fee from revenue Patwaris.