Punjab digitises land partition process, makes RCMS filing mandatory

According to an official directive issued by PLRA on August 28, 2026, and obtained by Minute Mirror, the new instructions have been circulated

LAHORE: The Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) has introduced a major digital reform in the province’s land partition system, directing that all Taqseem cases be processed through the Revenue Courts Management System (RCMS) in accordance with the amended Land Revenue Act, 1967.

According to an official directive issued by PLRA on August 28, 2026, and obtained by Minute Mirror, the new instructions have been circulated to all District Collectors across Punjab. The move is aimed at bringing greater transparency, accountability and uniformity to proceedings involving the partition of jointly owned land.

The reforms follow the completion of partition activities under the PULSE Project, which carried out joint-land partitioning between February 2025 and July 2026 and facilitated several landowners in obtaining Green Property Certificates.

The PLRA said the Board of Revenue has amended relevant provisions of the Land Revenue Act, 1967 and introduced RCMS to modernise the partition process. The digital system is intended to reduce procedural irregularities and ensure that cases are handled through a clearly documented mechanism.

The authority’s inspections, however, identified a number of shortcomings in the existing process. These included initiating partition proceedings without the required application, failure to prepare or upload mandatory maps and related land records, inadequate consideration of actual possession on the ground, and partitioning holdings that were solely owned by an individual despite such property being legally non-partitionable.

Under the new mechanism, applications for partition under Section 135-B will have to be registered in RCMS. Following approval by the Deputy Commissioner, the concerned Revenue Officer will prepare and issue the partition schedule along with the required public notice.

The revised procedure also requires notices and summons to co-sharers to be issued within seven days through digital channels, including SMS and electronic communication, along with mail and public advertisement where required. The measure is intended to ensure that all concerned parties are properly informed and given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings.

The preparation and uploading of land partition maps has also been made compulsory. The relevant records will include maps showing ownership details, the proposed mode of partition and supporting documents such as Wihinda Jaat, Tatima, Shajra Aks and field books.

The new guidelines place particular emphasis on protecting the rights of co-sharers and reflecting actual possession on the ground. Parties will be allowed to inspect the prepared maps and submit objections before a final decision is taken. The guidelines further provide for the recovery of mesne profits where a co-sharer is found cultivating or benefiting from land beyond his or her lawful share.

PLRA has also imposed a clear prohibition on partitioning sole-owner holdings, seeking to prevent proceedings that could create unnecessary disputes over individually owned property.

Once objections have been examined and the proceedings concluded, the Revenue Officer will issue the final order and partition deed. This will be followed, where applicable, by the warrant of possession and partition mutation, completing the legal process for recording the resulting ownership interests.

Officials believe the digital framework will help curb defective documentation, ex-parte proceedings and arbitrary practices at the field level. District Collectors have also been assigned targets for the timely disposal of pending and new partition cases.

The PLRA expects the new system to make land partition proceedings quicker, more transparent and accessible while strengthening safeguards for landowners and reducing the disputes that have historically arisen from flawed records and inadequate consideration of possession.