How a Setwar Record is Prepared in Telangana.

Setwar Revenue Record Preperation in Telangana Region.

The system of Survey and Settlement, now in vogue in the Nizam’s Dominions was first introduced in 1875. It was in the year 1853 that Nawab Sir Salarjung-I on assuming the reins of Government as Prime Minister of the State, with his characteristic foresight, decided to put a stop to the pernicious practice of assessing whole village and Parganas in the lump, which had grown up during the days of the Amani and Sarbasta system of revenue collection.

Principles of Survey:

For purpose of survey and unit adopted is the survey number which in theory at least is a field capable of being cultivated by one pair of oxen. If within a survey number there are holdings belonging to different persons, each sub division (known as Pot-number in survey parlance) is also demarcated, surveyed and mapped separately in order to keep the rights of individual’s district.

Method of Survey:

The method of survey generally adopted is the very simple chain and cross-staff method. Before starting the survey of a village a suitable base-line is aranged, and from this offset are measured to the several boundary marks of the holdings to be mapped with the chain and cross-staff.

The acre is sub-divided into 40 Guntas, each Gunta being one chain square. Sub-Divisions of a Gunta are represented by Annas, 16 Annas making up one Gunta or 121 yards for one Gunta, one yard making 3 feet width and 3 feet length.

Settlement work can be broadly divided into the following 3 stages i.e. 

• Soil Classification
• Classer Akar, (Office Processes of Work) 
• JamabandiWorks
  

Soil Classification:

With reference to the colour and texture of the soil (i.e.) dry land is classified as black Regad (Black cotton soil), Red Regad, Black Chalka and Red Chalka. The classification of Regadh as to be fixed on the basis of the depth of the soil and classification of Chalkah as to be fixed on the proportion of clay and sand. Therefore important factors in regard to the soil classification may be summed up as depth, colour and texture

In Telangana Region, there are 7 classes in the soil classification. The relative values of these classes are expressed in terms of Annas such as 16,15,14,11,8,5 and 3 Annas.

Pani Class (Water Classification):

 In respect of wet lands, it is quite necessary to classify the source of irrigation by which the particular field is being irrigated. This water classification is based on the extent of ayacutunder the source of irrigation. In all cases where the ayacutor the extent of lands irrigated from a tank or other source of irrigation is 30 or more than 30 acres, lands so irrigated are treated as in the Ist class for irrigation. Ayacutlands under sources of irrigation where the ayacut is less than 30 acres are regarded as belonging to the 2nd class.

The following water classes are usually assigned under different sources:

• Irrigation from tanks having 30 acres or more of ayacut less than 30 acres ayacut 
• Canal Project 
• River
• Tank
• Anicut
• Upalwat(spring)
• Kunta
• Nala(Natural stream)
• Thira
• Wair.
  

The classer should also collect the following information in respect of all tanks in the village and prepare a statement.

• The source of water
• Year of construction of the tank. 
• When the tank gets filled No of days for which the water is available for irrigation
• General condition of the tank-
  

PREPARATION OF REVENUE RECORDS:

The surveyor deputed for soil classification work will have to prepare the following records i.e.

1. PahaniPlot
2. PrathiBook
3. WasoolbaquiRegister

Pahani Plot:  

Pahani plot is a copy of Moziniplot prepared by the surveyor at the time of survey work, but the base lines (i.e) Adhar, Katkoons and Karans will not be marked in it. This is prepared for reference during field work (i.e) classification work and also to check the boundary stones planted during measurement work and the Topo details.

PrathiBook: 

This is a printed Register, on every page of Prathi Book; two sketches of a survey field are drawn by tracing from the Mozinplot. The name of the Pattedar, Chalta Number and the survey numbers given after completion of survey are written. In one sketch, the Khastas will be drawn and the details of Parath(classification) i.e. depth of soil, class assigned, defects noticed in the soil will be noted in the conventional manner by appropriate symbols and average Bhagana (Annavari)to be assigned to the number as a whole should be calculated and shown at the right hand side. In the other sketch, Topo details and the details of Potekharab with its extent will be noted. The kind of cultivation, colour of the soil, total extent, extent of Potekharab and net area for assessment should be noted. In respect of wet lands, cutting points of field’s channels on the field boundaries should be marked on the sketch. Source of irrigation, class assigned and other details required for determining the Pani class will also be noted. Other entries in the columns of the Parthi book will be filled up with reference to Wasoolbaqui Register prepared by the Patwari with reference to the Revenue accounts and attested by the Tahsildar. If any errors are noticed in the measurement work or in the map prepared such cases should be mentioned so that further action may be taken by the Inspecting Officer.

Wasool baqui Register: 

It is the duty of the surveyor who is attending the soil classification work to get Wasoolbaqui Register prepared with reference to Theka Bandi and Revenue records and get it attested by the Tahsildar. This register is prepared Khata wise(Holding wise)and in alphabetical order of the names of Pattedars. This is a register showing the correlation of old survey numbers to the new survey numbers Khata wise. As such, it reveals any omissions or commissions (i.e.) omissions of not including any old survey numbers in full or part in any of the new survey numbers of the survey done or commission of wrong clubbing of patta land with any Government land or lands with different classification etc. If this register is prepared correctly and every entry is thoroughly verified with reference to other records such as map, Tippans, pucca book etc. by the inspecting officers at all levels, any errors committed by the surveyors who did original work can be detected before finalizing the survey and settlement records and there will not be scope for any complaints from the Pattedars after the announcement of the survey for rectification of settlement errors under Section 87 of the Hyderabad Land Revenue Act.

After the preparation of the above records the following items of work are done:

• Scrutiny of Potekharab number by number (ie) to see whether the calculation of Potekharab area is according to the rules, whether the deductions are correct etc. After deducting the Potekharab extent from the total area, the remaining area is entered in Wasoolbaqui Register for calculating the assessment.
• Formation of Numbers: Checking is done to see whether the Survey numbers have been formed according to rules and upto the required extent.
• Filling up of blanks in WasoolbaquiRegister with reference to the particulars in ParthiBook Columns left blank in the Wasoolbaqui register are filled up.
• Examination for calculation of Bhaganain Prathi Book
• Comparison of the entries in Bhagath Taktha
• Allotment of serial survey numbers in the map.

While doing field work only Chaltha numbers are given by the surveyors for the portions of the village allotted to them thus having as any serial numbers as the numbers of surveyors. After completion of book, one serial numbers is given to the whole village in the map and the relevant serial numbers are noted in other records. The procedure should be to see that the first serial numbers should be to the North of the village site or Gowthanand the numbering is done clockwise, continuously without a break and the last should adjoin the 1st serial number. This serial number should be noted in the following records.

• Sir Naksha
• Tippan Book
• Pucca Book
• Inspection Plots
• Prathi Book 
• Wasoolbaqui Register 
• Bhagath Statement 
• ThakthaDehasel(10 years statement) 
• Pahani Plot.
• Preparation of classer Register
• DarwariRegister
• Gairanstatemen
• Mile-war statemen
• Pucca Naksha
• KarguzariStatemen
• MushahidaReport
  

After the work of Akar is completed during recess, the following records are sent to Jamabandi or settlement section in the office of the Director of Settlements for completing the remaining processes of settlement work.

• Classer Register
• WasoolbaquiRegister
• Sir Naksha
• BhagathTakhta
• DarwariStatement
• Other miscellaneous statements which are obtained by the classer from the village and Tahisil officials during classification.

1. Statement of sources of irrigation
2. Census figures for each village
3. Marketing facilities places where markets, weekly bazaars etc. are held, and Railway facilities.
4. Statement of rainfall for the last 10 years.
5. Important staple crops grown and their average.
6. Statistics of cattle, schools, industries etc.
   

Setwar Record preperation:  

After preperation of all above infomation records, the original Setwar will be prepared, survey numbers area, assessment, source of irrigation are filled up with reference to the entries in Akarband Register. Names of Khatadars will be copied from the Wasoolbaqui register. Un-surveyed area such as village site, Nadi, Nala, Road, Tank etc. will be noted in the last and abstract will be prepared in the last sheet, and the officer concerned will write in words the total assessment of the village. Page wise totals of assessment and grand total will be shown. A copy of the Setwar and Wasoolbaqui Register will be prepared and they are sent to the Taluq office along with two printed copies of the village map for 56 implementation of the new rates in the Revenue Records. The Tahsildar will issue one copy of the printed map to the Patwari of the village.The other Jamabandi papers and records will be retained by the Director for 2 years up to the expiry of appeal hearing period after the announcement for rectification of errors under Section 87 of Hyderabad Land Revenue Act and after the lapse of 2 years, the records will be sent to the District Land Records Office. 

References:

• The Telangana Survey and Boundaries Act 1923
• THE TELANGANA SURVEY AND BOUNDARIES ACT, 1923.- ACT NO.VIII OF 1923
• chapter-III land tenurial, landsurvey & settlement system in telangana region in erstwhile hyderabad state