The Andhra Pradesh government has embarked on a project to digitise land records, while integrating other administrative functions like revenue, survey and registration with it.
Christened as ‘integrated land information system’, the programme is being implemented in Nizamabad district as a pilot project initially, and later it will be extend to cover the entire state. “The programme is aimed at replacing the defective system of registration of title deeds and to improve transparency in landed property holdings,” AP chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy said.
The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 20 crore and targeted to be completed in 24 months from the date of commencement. On-line land records will enable property buyers to register property in cyberspace in a hassle-free atmosphere and will bring down the number of benami (illegal) transactions.
However, to introduce online registration, the government has to bring in a new law. “We are in the process of bringing a new act and confident to get the Union government’s approval too,” the CM said.
With ‘bhumiti’, a GIS and digitisation software developed jointly by the revenue department has already been in use to scan basic survey records across the state. The department has also gone for additional record rooms and mobile record storage systems called ‘compactors’ in each district for scientific storage of records.
In a bid to equip manpower with the knowledge of electronic record storage systems, the government is establishing AP Academy of Land Information Management under survey, settlements and land records department.
