Raghuvansh Prasad Singh calls for guidelines to proper upkeep of land records

New Delhi, Sept 24 : Union Rural Development Minister Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has called for devising appropriate guidelines that help and facilitate the proper upkeep of land records in the country.

Inaugurating a two-day technical workshop on the National Land Records Modenization Programme (NLRMP) here, Dr. Singh said the ultimate goal of the NLRMP is to replace the present system of registration of deeds and documents as provided for in the Registration Act.

"In the present system, the titles to property are merely presumptive and the State does not give guarantee for such titles. Once some substantial progress is made in implementing the programme, the country can switch to the system of "Conclusive Titles" as followed in most advanced and some of the developing countries," he added.

He said that the benefits of NLRMP to citizens of are the records will be always up-to-date, tamperproof and easily accessible since they will be placed on website with proper security IDs.

Dr. Singh said the programme has zeroed in on modern technologies that can be used for speedier survey or resurvey of the land. Three technologies have been identified in consultation with the technical agencies: Pure ground method using electronic total station (ETS) and global positioning system (GPS), Hybrid method using aerial photography and ground truthing by ETS and GPS; and High-resolution satellite imagery. It is also proposed to set up a Core Technical Advisory Group with representatives of all the technical agencies to advise and assist the Department in achieving the goals of the programme.

"Similarly, regional Technical Advisory Groups will be set up to assist the States in implementing the programme. The district has been selected as the unit for programme implementation. All the activities envisaged under the programme would be undertaken district-by-district," he added.

He said the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) envisages that "Revenue administration will be thoroughly modernized and clear land titles will be established". Also, a consciousness has come amongst the States for moving to the title guarantee system, but the essential technological infrastructure, capacity building, and legal framework changes are yet to be in place.

The technical workshop is expected to devise issues like Digitization of Integration of textual and spatial data, GIS, Data Codes and architecture, Data security, Authentication mechanisms, Indian language computing, Interconnectivity among Revenue and Registration Offices, Banks and Treasuries, Unified command orsingle window service delivery Legal changes, programme management, process reengineering, MoUs, release of funds, outsourcing and PPP.

ANI