As is typical, Assam lagging far behind Tripura, Sikkim

DIGITIZATION OF LAND RECORDS

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 21: As is typical, Assam has been lagging far behind Tripura and Sikkim in digitization of land records despite availability of funds. The Directorate of Land Record and Survey (DLRS) under the State Revenue Department wants to blame it on NRC update.

 Central government’s records based on Magement Information System (MIS) show that all States in the Northeast, barring Tripura and Sikkim, have been lagging behind rest of the country in getting the job done.

The erstwhile tiol Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) 2008, a Centrally-sponsored scheme, has been revamped as Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) as a Central sector scheme with effect from April 1, 2016 with 100 percent funding from the Centre.

A recent statement based on MIS says ‘it is evident that States like Gujarat, Harya, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura have made considerable progress, whereas States like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Telanga, North Eastern States (excluding Tripura and Sikkim) and some UTs have to pick up the progress under sanctioned components’.

in Assam only in 13,925 of the total 26,777 villages computerization of land records (CLR) has been completed, besides computerization of land mutation in 16,654 villages. In as many as 2914 villages CLR has not been started at all. Strangely enough, CLR is not going on in any of the villages in the State now.

When asked, State Director of Land Records and Survey etc., Manoj Kumar said: “Digitization of land records has been going on in full swing ever since I’ve taken charge of the Directorate. Such works are going on fully in the BTAD where the work was very slow earlier. We’re working sincerely for making land records available in mobile phones too.”

However, a top official of the Directorate let this reporter know that CLR work has been very slow in the State. The official has cited NRC update work as one of the reasons behind the slow progress of CLR work in the State. “Circle officers engaged in NRC update work can’t spare time for this exercise. This has failed us to meet the target. We were supposed to complete computerization of land records in all mouzas ni November 2017, but failed to achieve the target,” the official said.

Another official said: “We’ve Rs 21 crore to spend for DILRMP. This amount was pumped in after spending Rs 15.30 crore earlier. A case in connection with the tendering process is also preventing us from speeding up the work.”      

The major components of the programme are computerization of all land records, including mutations, digitization of maps and integration of textual and spatial data, survey/re-survey and update of all survey and settlement records, including creation of origil cadastral records wherever necessary, computerization of registration and its integration with the land records maintence system, development of core Geospatial Information System (GIS) and capacity building.

Meanwhile, on its own Dispur has taken an initiative with Integrated Land Records Magement System (ILRMS) under the Revenue and Disaster Magement Department. Even after that, computerization of land records is yet to gain pace.

According to Central Government records, CLR has been completed only in 235 of the 2743 villages in Manipur, not a single village in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Aruchal Pradesh and galand. While the job has been accomplished in all the 898 villages in Tripura, 389 of the 417 villages in Sikkim CLR has been completed.