5 years on, Punjab’s 38,000-watchman promise remains shrouded in silence

The issue has come back into focus on August 24, 2026, marking five years since reports emerged about plans to recruit around 38,000 Chowkidars

LAHORE: Five years after the Punjab government announced plans to strengthen the traditional Numberdari and Chowkidari systems as part of efforts to improve security and governance in rural areas, questions remain over the implementation of the proposed recruitment of thousands of village watchmen.

The issue has come back into focus on August 24, 2026, marking five years since reports emerged about plans to recruit around 38,000 Chowkidars, provide incentives linked to agricultural land and taxation, and revive the traditional village-level security structure.

However, no comprehensive public record appears to be available showing how many Chowkidars have been recruited, trained or assigned to villages across Punjab.

The revival of the Numberdari system gained momentum in 2021, with reports indicating that Punjab had around 38,700 Numberdars, while thousands of positions were vacant. Around the same period, media reports also referred to a proposed recruitment of approximately 38,000 Chowkidars. The specific 2021 report linking the figure to Chowkidar recruitment and a two-acre land allocation could not be independently verified through available online archives and therefore remains a reported proposal rather than a confirmed government notification.

The traditional Chowkidar has historically served as a link between rural communities and government authorities, reporting incidents such as theft, cattle lifting and suspicious activity while assisting officials during emergencies and other local disturbances.

The system also received renewed attention in 2022 when Punjab Police encouraged the activation of Thikri Pehra and the Chowkidari system in parts of the province to counter rural crime. Numberdars were also engaged in efforts to strengthen community-based vigilance.

Land remains another unresolved aspect of the proposed revival. Historical records indicate that service providers in rural Punjab, including Chowkidars, were at times granted agricultural land. Reports in 2025 highlighted disputes and alleged encroachments involving some such properties, raising questions about whether old Chowkidari land records have been properly identified and protected.

Five years after the reported announcement, several fundamental questions remain unanswered. There is no publicly available province-wide breakdown indicating the number of active Chowkidars, their deployment by district or village, their remuneration, official duties, supervisory arrangements or the budget allocated for the programme.

The lack of clear information is particularly significant for remote rural communities, where police facilities can be located far from villages and local residents may face delays in obtaining assistance. Security experts and retired police officials have suggested that a modern Chowkidar system could contribute to community policing if personnel were properly trained and given direct communication channels with local police.

Analysts, however, say that reviving the traditional system would require more than simply restoring old posts. The government would need to establish clear recruitment criteria, define responsibilities, determine salaries or other benefits, provide training and create a transparent mechanism for monitoring performance.

The proposed land component also requires clarification. If agricultural land is to be provided to Chowkidars, authorities would need to identify its source and establish eligibility criteria. If financial compensation is preferred, the government would have to determine the amount, funding mechanism and administrative structure.

The five-year mark therefore raises a broader question about the government’s rural security policy: was the proposed Chowkidari expansion implemented, delayed, modified or abandoned?

For rural communities, the answer matters because an effective village-level security network could provide an important early-warning mechanism and strengthen coordination between citizens and law-enforcement agencies.

If the original proposal has been abandoned, the government should clarify the decision. If it remains under consideration, a transparent implementation timeline is needed. And if the programme has already been implemented, district-wise data would provide the public with a clear picture of its progress.

Five years after the original announcement, the challenge is no longer simply reviving the Chowkidari system. It is demonstrating whether the promise translated into a functioning rural security network.