The interim government's adviser A F Hassan Arif's recent call for land officials to render hassle-free services reflects the longstanding inefficiency of the land offices and the difficulties, even harassments, that people in most cases encounter when dealing with land related matters in the land offices. The adviser who oversees the ministries of land, local government, rural development and cooperatives made the statement during his visit to a land office on the outskirts of the capital. However, given the entrenched bureaucratic culture in these offices, breaking away from outdated practices is challenging unless a well-planned and comprehensive reform is undertaken. While this is no easy task, the key solution lies in digitisation.
It goes without saying that digitising land records is one of the most urgent public interest issues. Since the concept of digitisation gained popularity as a solution to various problems, modernising land record management has become a top priority. The antiquated methods of recordkeeping, which date back to the British colonial period, have persisted across the country. Unsurprisingly, those responsible for safeguarding these valuable documents are often unfamiliar with the modern, technology-driven systems that could ensure both the security and authenticity of the records.
Manual handling is prone to cause mismanagement, even manipulation of all sorts leading to endless litigations, vicious enmities, especially in rural areas. It is also a hunting ground for the powerful to prevail upon the weak as there is an opportunity of taking advantage of the age-old methods of record keeping, susceptible to manipulation. It is because of the faulty and vulnerable system reliant on manual recordkeeping in ledgers and registers that a piece of land might get sold a number of times, rendering sales or purchases extremely risky. As a result, the number of land dispute cases pending with the courts all over the country is increasing every year and is believed to be much higher than in most other countries. A good deal of the problems is attributed to the cumbersome and complex system of recordkeeping that often makes accessing correct information more than just difficult. The victims in the process are the commoners. Hassled and tricked by touts and middlemen -- bred by the system over generations -- they often find themselves ripped apart.
In this connection, it may be mentioned here that in most government offices, some private offices as well, there is the practice of destroying files and papers once these are found outdated and of no use, after expiry of a certain time as per a guideline. The government offices have earmarked spots for destroying the useless piles of papers and documents by burning them. This cannot be imagined in case of our sub-registry offices - the depository of land records, for when it comes to land records, there is nothing called old, outdated or useless. So, these offices often housed in tiny spaces, especially those in places outside the district headquarters, are crammed with heaps of papers, some as old as fifty or more years. In an atmosphere overstuffed with papers and documents in racks and roof-high dusty shelves, it is difficult to put one's mind to work. Retrieving a decade-old document may take days, even weeks, if mercifully not lost.
Given the prevailing situation, there should not be any questioning the merits of digitisation. Two projects were reportedly taken up by the previous government in this regard -- one with its own resources and the other under donor funding -- have run into snags. The then government in 2010 approved a project with its own funding to digitise all existing land documents, including maps, mauzas and khatians in a total of nearly 60 upazilas. But, reportedly, due to application of faulty software the project could barely deliver the goods. The other project -- Digital Land Management System project -- funded by the Asian Development Bank is currently engaged in 44 districts. But this project is also not progressing well, reportedly for delays in release of funds, and hence the project is being repeatedly extended.
Today, most countries, including the developing ones, have parted with manual handling of land records. Given that it is a mammoth task and cannot be expected to be completed in a strictly time-bound manner. There has to be a well planned strategy on how to go about it.
Digitisation, more than anything, will do away with a lot of public suffering. Because of the manual handling of documents and their susceptibility to manipulation, forgery and even theft, safekeeping is crucially important. This, besides easing the works of the offices dealing with land records, will also provide a great relief to the people. Now that the interim government has picked up the matter, all-out efforts must be in place to facilitate the digitising process that, unfortunately, appears to have lost its thrust for various reasons.
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