‘Total station machines’ helping demarcate boundaries

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab revenue department is using theodolite (total station machines) for accurate demarcation of land by measuring the boundaries.

To end land disputes, the director, land records (DLR) has purchased eight such machines.

Additional chief secretarycum-financial commissioner revenue MP Singh said at the time of settlement and consolidation the pillars (sehada/burzi) had been set up on land as the boundary stones. But these pillars have been damaged or dislocated with the time.

The machines can create a satellite record (land coordinate) of the boundaries and demarcation pillars.

“Earlier, in the complex demarcation cases the department had to take services of private companies owning these machines, which used to charge hefty amount because of their monopoly. But the department has now purchased these as many people didn’t agree with the demarcation done by the revenue staff. As there is a nominal fee for demarcation, they repeatedly submit applications for the same nishandehi (demarcation). Sometimes a single nishandehi takes a whole day of the revenue staff to get finalised and even after that there is no guarantee that all the parties involved will finally agree to the demarcation,” he said.

Revenue minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria said, the machines have led to the settlement of several cases. A total of 179 cases had been resolved with the use of these machines till October 10 this year.

These machines have been used to settle cases in Patiala (72 cases), Ludhiana (37), Amritsar (8), Jalandhar (57) and Mohali (5). Following the Punjab and Haryana high court’s order that the revenue record of Talwara (Hoshiarpur) be put in order, the remaining three machines have been pressed in service at Talwara.