The land record system of Pakistan often involves land record officials with whom laymen often have the most interaction. Among them are the two most important officials: Patwaris and Tehsildars. They are often considered the same but hold very different responsibilities and functions. This article will explain the function of each and how they differ from one another.
Who is a Patwari?
A Patwari, also known as a village accountant, is a government officer who maintains the land records at the local level. A Patwari generally covers one or more than one villages called a Patwar circle or Mauza.
Functions of Patwari
A patwari often performs the following functions:
- Keeping records of land ownership, such as Fard, Jamabandi, and Khasra number, etc.
- Crop information recording Land revenue assessment
- Updating records after sale, inheritance or transfer by mutation (Intiqal)
- Local resolution of small-scale land disputes
- Reporting important events or incidents occurring in his area to higher officials
- Carry out field surveys to establish and confirm land boundaries
- Seasonal crop inspections called Girdawari recorded for each landholding
- Issuing basic certificates and documents related to land to residents
- Keeping a Roznamcha of his activities and events in his Patwar circle
- Supporting government departments when they need local data
What is a Tehsildar?
A Tehsildar is a revenue officer in charge of a larger area described as a Tehsil . A Tehsil normally consists of many villages and Patwar circles put together . Tehsildar is also the Executive Magistrate of the said Tehsil.
Functions of a Tehsildar
A tehsildar has multiple responsibilities, the key functions among which are mentioned below:
- To supervise the collection of land revenue for entire Tehsil
- Supervising the work of all the Patwaris working in that Tehsil
- Dealing with complications that are beyond the authority of a Patwari
- Approving specific official land record actions and certificates.
- Performing duties of a magistrate under specific matters within the Tehsil
- Providing official documents like income certificates, domicile certificates, and other administrative documents
- Periodic inspection of Patwar circles to determine transparency
- Revenue targets, land assessment, administrative reporting in coordination with the district-level authorities
- Monitoring whether government instructions are being employed at Tehsil level.
- He is also the Executive Magistrate, when required, for legal matters within the Tehsil.
Differences Between Patwari And Tehsildar
| Factor | Patwari | Tehsildar |
| Area Covered | A village or small group of villages | An entire Tehsil |
| Level of Authority | Local, ground-level official | Supervisory and administrative officer |
| Reports To | Tehsildar | District administration |
| Main Focus | Day-to-day land record keeping and field-level matters | Oversight, approvals, revenue administration, and larger disputes |
| Also Known As | Village accountant; Tapedar in Sindh | Executive Magistrate of the Tehsil |
Similarities Between Patwari and Tehsildar
| Aspect | Similarity |
| Part of the Same System | Both are revenue officials working within Pakistan's land administration structure. |
| Deal with Land Records | Both are involved in maintaining, verifying, and managing land ownership and revenue records. |
| Handle Land Disputes | Both can play a role in land-related disputes, although their responsibilities and levels of authority differ. |
| Government-Appointed | Both are official government positions within the revenue department, not private-sector roles. |
| Relevant to Property Owners | Both are officials a landowner may need to interact with when dealing with land records, ownership, transfers, and other property matters. |
Both patwaris and tehsildars perform an important role in the land record management system; however, both have different functions. The patwari performs detailed and daily tasks in a smaller area, while the tehsildar performs supervision and handles legal issues in a larger area. The tehsildar sits above the patwari in the hierarchy.