Three years on, digitization of land records yet incomplete

Srinagar, March 22: Three years after initiating the process, the state government has failed to complete the digitization of land records, which was aimed at bringing reforms in the Revenue Department.
Although the process was initiated across India back in 2008, the state government has already been late in implementing the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) in 2015.
In February its first deadline was missed for Jammu and Srinagar districts, which were taken up on pilot basis over two years back.
As per the sources, the work for digitization of land records under phase-1 would consume almost a year more, which is likely to defer the starting of Phase-11 of the project.
“The Phase-I was to be completed between November 2015 and February 2018. However, the government has missed this deadline. Incomplete Phase-1 will delay Phase-11 as well, which was to be implemented from March 2018 to March 2020,” they said.
As per the official data, against the target of scanning 666.49 lakh revenue documents, only 164.61 lakh revenue documents (58.77 lakh in Kashmir and 105.84 lakh in Jammu) have been scanned till December 2017.
Data reveals that against target of digitization of 1500 current serving maps 1147 have been digitized in Jammu division.
Similarly against target of establishment of 217 Modern Record Rooms at Tehsil level 29 have been taken up for construction under State Plan.
Sources said that under Phase-I, the government had decided that districts of Jammu and Srinagar will be immediately covered by starting works like scanning of revenue documents/maps and digitalization of cadastral maps (old records of Central Records Rooms of Jammu, Srinagar and current serving records of all districts), establishment of Ground Control Points in all districts and development of web-based enterprise Geo-Information System (GIS). ”
Under Phase-II, 10 districts—Poonch, Ramban, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kargil, Udhampur, Leh, Doda, Bandipora and Rajouri will be taken up for implementation of DILRMP.
Similarly, Phase-III will cover districts of Kathua, Kulgam, Shopian, Budgam, Reasi, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Kupwara, Kishtwar and Samba will be.
Minister for Revenue Abdul Rehman Veeri recently chaired a meeting and asked the Revenue officials to speed up the process of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme.
He asked the officials to employ additional manpower and to furnish exact details of land retrieved.