The government scheme of computerisation of land records, on since 1988-89, has not proceeded with the desired pace. The main objective of the scheme was to provide landowners with computerised copies of ownership, crop and tenancy and updated copies of records of rights (RoRs) on demand.
According to the recent records maintained by the Union ministry for rural development only 13 states out of 35 states and Union territories are in a position to provide RoRs on demand. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The scheme of computerisation of land records (CLR) was extended to cover 4,423 talukas or tehsils (revenue circles) in 1021 sub-division in 582 districts of the country. Computer centres have been set up in 3,356 tehsils and in only 2902 tehsils computerised copies of RoRs are being issued to landowners on demand.
The scheme is fully funded by the central government for completing data entry, setting up of computer centres at tehsil level, block, circle sub-divisional and district levels a also for setting up of a monitoring cell at the state level. Funds are also provided for imparting training and application of software. Digitisation of maps has also been allowed under the scheme. Till January 31, 2008 the central government released Rs561.30 crore to state governments, out of which only Rs 348.40 crore was utilised, meaning 62% utilization of funds. In the current year, the central government released Rs 15.95 crore to state governments. The importance of computerization of land records in rural areas cannot be over emphasized, particularly in this IT age and where India is an IT leader. But unfortunately rural India is lagging far behind in e-governance.
There is another centrally sponsored scheme called Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA&ULR), launched since 1987-88 on 50:50 contribution basis between the Centre and the states.
The main objective of the scheme is for strengthening of survey and settlement organizations for which financial assistance is provided for purchase of modern survey equipment like GPS, EDM, total stations, theodolites, work stations, aerial survey office, photocopiers, laminating machines. Since the inception of SRA&ULR, Centre has provided Rs 417.20 crore to state governments, out of which only Rs 283.13 crore was utilized, implying 68% utilisation of funds.
It has been proposed to merge these two scheme?CLR and SRA&ULR?into a new scheme called National Land Records Modernisation Programme (NLRMP). This revamp scheme would generate three layers of data namely spatial data from satellite imagery or aerial photography, topographic maps and other data from the Survey of India and Forest Survey of India and land record dataand maps will be integrated and harmonised on geographic information system platform.
The primary focus of this revamped programmed will be to provide RoRs with maps to scale, other land-based certificates like caste certificate, income certificate, domicile certificate, land passbook, and eligibility criteria of the holder for getting benefits under government’s welfare schemes.
