Bengaluru: In a significant move to combat fraud and forgery in property transactions, the Karnataka government has launched a comprehensive digitization initiative aimed at bringing transparency, efficiency, and accessibility to land records across the state.
The project, under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Program (DILRMP), involves the digitization of record rooms in all 236 taluk offices within a two-year timeframe, starting in January.
The initiative comes in response to rising cases of fraudulent property transactions and forgery through the manipulation of land records. The government’s focus is not only on enhancing the security and authenticity of property documents but also on providing a user-friendly platform for citizens to access necessary revenue records without the need to visit Taluk offices.
The DILRMP project builds upon the ‘Bhumi’ project initiated two decades ago and marks a significant step toward achieving a paperless and streamlined administration of taluk offices. Digitization involves re-surveying land assets through the use of drones, scanning and digitizing documents, and linking Aadhaar numbers with land records databases.
Aadhaar to play key role
Key components of the digitization initiative include the complete computerization of land records, the establishment of modern record rooms in all taluks, the creation of a state-level database, linking Aadhaar with the land records database, computerization of revenue courts, and the alignment of land records. The project aims to make land records easily accessible online, reducing the burden on revenue offices and ensuring transparency in the functioning of the Revenue Department.
The government has allocated funds amounting to Rs. 229 crore under the DILRMP scheme, with Rs. 42 crore released for the current year and an additional Rs. 100 crore scheduled for release after March. To expedite the digitization process, the government is considering the recruitment of additional staff through outsourcing.
Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda emphasized that the completion of the digitization project within the stipulated two-year timeline would result in a transparent and people-friendly system. The linkage of Aadhaar numbers with land records databases is expected to prevent document falsification and irregularities, providing a robust foundation for property transactions in the state.
Here are the objectives and budgets allocated
- The Computerization of land records would cost Rs. 31.55 crore,
- Computerization of registration, including scanning and digitization: Rs. 79.58 crore,
- The establishment of modern record rooms in all taluks Rs. 118 crore,
- The Survey and re-survey work Rs. 516 crore,
- The computerization of revenue courts at Rs. 3.38 crore,
- The linking of Aadhaar with land records Rs. 19.44 crore,
- The establishment of the Digital India Land Records Unit in Kalaburagi and Mysore at Rs. 4.91 crore and the establishment of a state-level database at Rs. 3 crores.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda stated that the digitization of revenue documents would prevent forgery and fraud in property transactions, while the linkage of Aadhaar with Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crop (RTC) documents would streamline processes and reduce the burden on taluk offices.
The move is expected to bring about a transformative change in the functioning of the revenue department, ensuring transparency and efficiency.
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