Land registration made easy
Sunday, 7 June 2009
FE Report
Finance Minister AMA Muhith Saturday said as part of improving services and to lessen public sufferings all fees would be received at a single desk at the sub-registrar's offices for land registration from September 1.
"People make two types of payments at sub-registrar's office -- to the government and the registrars. But they do not get proper services," he said while speaking at a views exchange meeting in the city.
The law ministry convened the meeting at BIAM Auditorium to identify and solve the problems the country's 61 district registrars and 476 sub-registrars offices are facing.
Speaking as chief guest, Mr
Muhith said people now pay different sorts of fees at separate office desks during land registration and both sellers and buyers of lands are forced to pay bribes at every table to have their job done.
"The land administration system in the country is feeble and corrupt. Things have to be changed through digitisation of the system."
"The government is moving to digitalise the entire land management system. Once completed, people will be able to collect land documents within 15 days," said the minister.
The minister added: "There is no need for a land survey department, as it serves no purpose at all. The survey is done just to create foundation for taking bribes during land recording."
Its importance will also vanish if the whole system is digitised, he said.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed reiterated the government's intention to retain the Registration Directorate under the law ministry instead of moving it to the land ministry as the directorate exercises some judicial powers.
He said steps to resolve all problems that are choking the land registration system would be taken immediately, as it contributes a significant amount of money to the treasury.
Vacant posts of the land registration offices would be filled soon, he assured saying that the case filed by Mujibnagar government employees could be easily resolved.
Law Secretary Kazi Habibul Awal, who presided over the meeting, said: "We still operate on the out-of-date system. The directorate has not witnessed adequate reforms although some changes have been made recently."
"We need to introduce a modern digital technology to document deeds which is expected to develop a simple, speedy and reliable registration process, provide transparency in the valuation of the property, automate all back office functions and establish an easy, reliable and cost effective documentation system and effective search."
He said the land management system in the country is being adversely affected due to thousands of pending civil and criminal cases.
"The soon-to-be introduced system will bring revolutionary changes in land management."
The law secretary said the directorate faces manpower crisis as 40 per cent of the posts have fallen vacant and there has been no fresh recruitment in the last 5 to 7 years thanks to a writ petition pending with the Supreme Court.
Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira urged the law ministry to change the laws, if necessary, to bring reforms to the land management.
Inspector General of Registration Munshi Nazrul Islam demanded introduction of registrar cadre post, removal of manpower crisis and turning the land directorate into a department.
M Shahidul Haque, additional secretary of Ministry of Law, said in his keynote presentation: "A deed registration takes usually about 180 days which is possible in just one hour with the help of a digitised system."
He said the image of the registrars' offices was poor due to inaccessibility of the officers, lack of information to users, lack of transparency and accountability, massive work backlog, government revenues on different heads, poor service delivery and unfriendly environment.
"Taxes and fees for land registration are received on different heads. The hassle will go if one desk collects all taxes and fees."
The system will need no government funds, as it will be established on public-private partnership, he said.
Mr Haque said the system would establish greater client satisfaction and reduce the role of middlemen and chances of fraud. Incidences of forgery would also reduce due to e-photographs and e-thumbprints.
State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam also spoke at the meeting, which was attended by district registrars and sub-registrars from across the country.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith Saturday said as part of improving services and to lessen public sufferings all fees would be received at a single desk at the sub-registrar's offices for land registration from September 1.
"People make two types of payments at sub-registrar's office -- to the government and the registrars. But they do not get proper services," he said while speaking at a views exchange meeting in the city.
The law ministry convened the meeting at BIAM Auditorium to identify and solve the problems the country's 61 district registrars and 476 sub-registrars offices are facing.
Speaking as chief guest, Mr
Muhith said people now pay different sorts of fees at separate office desks during land registration and both sellers and buyers of lands are forced to pay bribes at every table to have their job done.
"The land administration system in the country is feeble and corrupt. Things have to be changed through digitisation of the system."
"The government is moving to digitalise the entire land management system. Once completed, people will be able to collect land documents within 15 days," said the minister.
The minister added: "There is no need for a land survey department, as it serves no purpose at all. The survey is done just to create foundation for taking bribes during land recording."
Its importance will also vanish if the whole system is digitised, he said.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed reiterated the government's intention to retain the Registration Directorate under the law ministry instead of moving it to the land ministry as the directorate exercises some judicial powers.
He said steps to resolve all problems that are choking the land registration system would be taken immediately, as it contributes a significant amount of money to the treasury.
Vacant posts of the land registration offices would be filled soon, he assured saying that the case filed by Mujibnagar government employees could be easily resolved.
Law Secretary Kazi Habibul Awal, who presided over the meeting, said: "We still operate on the out-of-date system. The directorate has not witnessed adequate reforms although some changes have been made recently."
"We need to introduce a modern digital technology to document deeds which is expected to develop a simple, speedy and reliable registration process, provide transparency in the valuation of the property, automate all back office functions and establish an easy, reliable and cost effective documentation system and effective search."
He said the land management system in the country is being adversely affected due to thousands of pending civil and criminal cases.
"The soon-to-be introduced system will bring revolutionary changes in land management."
The law secretary said the directorate faces manpower crisis as 40 per cent of the posts have fallen vacant and there has been no fresh recruitment in the last 5 to 7 years thanks to a writ petition pending with the Supreme Court.
Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira urged the law ministry to change the laws, if necessary, to bring reforms to the land management.
Inspector General of Registration Munshi Nazrul Islam demanded introduction of registrar cadre post, removal of manpower crisis and turning the land directorate into a department.
M Shahidul Haque, additional secretary of Ministry of Law, said in his keynote presentation: "A deed registration takes usually about 180 days which is possible in just one hour with the help of a digitised system."
He said the image of the registrars' offices was poor due to inaccessibility of the officers, lack of information to users, lack of transparency and accountability, massive work backlog, government revenues on different heads, poor service delivery and unfriendly environment.
"Taxes and fees for land registration are received on different heads. The hassle will go if one desk collects all taxes and fees."
The system will need no government funds, as it will be established on public-private partnership, he said.
Mr Haque said the system would establish greater client satisfaction and reduce the role of middlemen and chances of fraud. Incidences of forgery would also reduce due to e-photographs and e-thumbprints.
State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam also spoke at the meeting, which was attended by district registrars and sub-registrars from across the country.