Poor Funds Utilisation Affects Updating Of Land Records

Even the funds provided by the Centre for these schemes have remained unutilised in most states, according to the first report of the Lok Sabha's standing committee on urban and rural development.

The report points out that barring two to three states, most other states have failed to make use of the Central grant. Many states have reported over 60 per cent unspent balance. In some states, 100 per cent amount has remained unspent.

The committee has, therefore, recommended the schemes might be reviewed and suitably restructured during the ninth plan. It has suggested that some model districts and villages, where performance has been good, should be projected as example for the others to make people conscious about the importance of updating the land records.

 

This scheme was initiated by the Union government in the seventh plan to provide financial assistance to states for early completion of survey and settlement operations and induction of new technology in the preparations, maintenance and updating of land records.

The process of computerisation of land records, started way back in 1988-89, is progressing at a slow pace though the states do not have to shell out much money for this purpose. The bulk of the funds are provided by the Centre. The states have only to share about 20 per cent of the cost of the hardware.

The computerisation programme has already been sanctioned for 223 districts in different states. Though the entire expenditure on entering the data in the computers is met by the Union government, the pace of this work is still to gather momentum.

The parliamentary committee has suggested that the monitoring of the scheme should be strengthened to improve its performance.