Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran says this is a signal that Kerala is moving in the right direction. He tells K.A. MARTIN that the first instalment of Rs.5 crore is welcome.
Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran has welcomed the decision by the Department of Land Resources under the Union Ministry of Rural Development to put Kerala among the first four States to get Central funds for the ambitious National Land Records Modernisation Programme (NLRMP).
He told The Hindu on Friday that this was a signal that Kerala was moving in the right direction in modernising and computerising land records.
Mr. Rajendran said that Kerala would need more money to achieve the goal of total computerisation of land records and the first instalment of Rs.5 crore was welcome.
Along with Kerala, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh have been chosen for receiving the first instalment during the current financial year.
The NLRMP will help computerise the entire process of property transaction records and network revenue offices.
The Revenue Department had submitted a detailed project report under the NLRMP for 2009-10 at an estimated cost of Rs.6 crore. This was approved by the Planning Board and funds allotted in the State Budget.
Besides, a detailed project report for the work at an estimated cost of nearly Rs.30 crore was submitted to the Union government.
The Revenue Department is expected to complete data entry, revalidation and training of officials and networking of offices in a time-bound manner.
The department has selected Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts for the first phase of activities.
In the second phase of computerisation of land records, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad have been chosen.
The NLRMP emerged out of two Centrally sponsored schemes — computerisation of land records and strengthening of revenue administration and updating of land records.
The main aims of the NLRMP are to usher in a system of updated land records, automated and automatic mutation, integration between textual and spatial records, interconnectivity between revenue and registration offices and replacing the present deeds registration and presumptive title system with that of conclusive titling with title guarantee, says information posted on the Land Resources Department web site.
Committee
The Union government has constituted a committee on State agrarian relations and the unfinished task of land reforms in January 2008.
The basic belief behind launching the land records modernisation programme across the country is that effective management of agrarian relations and good land administration are key to economic development and poverty eradication.
News Published Under: The Hindu