States told to shift gears on land records digitisation

Following criticism of the land acquisition Act, the rural development ministry is quietly pushing a scheme to digitise its five-year-old land records and maps to soothe industry's nerves.

Once completed, the National Land Records Development Modernisation Programme (NLRMP) would provide a true picture of the total land available across the country. The data collected through survey, re-survey and computerisation of land registration would be used to build a real-time system of all types of land records. It is expected the process would be completed by the end of 12th five-year Plan (2012-2017).

"Besides pushing the NLRMP, the minister has asked all district collectors to provide data of unused land available in their respective districts. This land can be provided to industry," said a ministry official. (STATES’ PROGRESS REPORT)

The NLRMP was launched in 2008 with an estimated cost of Rs 5,656 crore. Of this, the Union government is expected to contribute Rs 3,098 crore. The rural development ministry has already disbursed Rs 892.82 crore to states. It has said Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana and Tripura are the leading states in terms of implementing the scheme.

"It is part of an overall land reform plan. This scheme would really help industry, as well as the general public. The land acquisition process would be more transparent and it would enable authorities to acquire land without much hassle," said another ministry official. "It will also result in less litigation over the title of the land."

Minister of State for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has been advocating the scheme. Earlier, his ministry had come under criticism from industry lobbies after Parliament had passed the land acquisition Bill (now the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013).

According to the Act, the acquisition authority would have to seek the consent of 80 per cent of the residents and provide compensation equal to four times the land's market value. In case of projects based on public-private partnerships, the consent of 70 per cent of the residents is required.

The ministry has also sought amendments to the Registration Act, 1908. If passed in Parliament, all land sale and registration records would be put in the public domain.