Five state government officials, including the sub divisioonal magistrate of Pugal in Bikaner district, were penalised by the second appellate authority and the Bikaner district collector for delay in awarding land ownership rights.

These officers will have to pay Rs 1,200 each to applicant B N Kukkad, a resident of Sriganganagar district.

District collector Prithviraj said Kukkad was a khatedaar (owner of a farming land). The land was converted into revenue land. The revenue department asked Kukkad to deposit an amount, as per the reserve price list applicable in Pugal by August 18, 2011, in order to get the khatedaari right again.

After Kukkad deposited the amount on time, the khatedaari right was to be transferred to him by convening a meeting of the advisory committee. But the concerned authorities failed to call the meeting, Prithviraj added.

Kukkad then filed an application to Pugal SDM Yashwant Bhakhar which was forwarded to the tehsildar, the reader, the girdavar and the patwari. They failed to give him a satisfactory reason for not convening the meeting.

On hearing a second appeal filed by Kukkad, it was observed that the delay was purely due to the negligence of the officers, the collector said.

All five officers were found guilty of negligence. Hence, as per provisions of the Rajasthan Public Service Guarantee Act, 2011, financial penalty has been imposed on them. They have also been asked to dispose of the matter within a period of 30 days, Prithviraj said.