Nat'l digital land zoning to start soon: Minister

The government will soon start national digital land zoning work for optimum utilisation of country's land, said land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury on Sunday.
"We (the government) will soon carry out work on the national digital land zoning project for Mouzas and plots for proper preservation and best utilisation of the country's land," he said as the chief guest while inaugurating 123rd survey and settlement course for government officials at Officers Training Institute (OTI) at Savar.
He said that the Bangladesh Digital Survey (BDS) for lands records will gradually replace all previous lands records for proper management and optimum utilisation of lands in the country.
A total of 47 officials of administration, police, forest and Bangladesh Railway departments (cadres) have been participating in the course.
The department of land records and survey (DLRS) organised the training course that will be ended on December 20.
The minister said the BDS or BD Survey will soon start in Patuakhali and Barguna districts. And later it will be spread out to other districts gradually.
Mr Chowdhury said that the ministry of land (MoL) has received the United Nations Public Service Award- 2020 due to the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for building a digital Bangladesh.
Replying to a question, the minister said that initiatives will be taken to coordinate land registration activities by registration department under the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs and digital land survey works by the MoL.
He reiterated that the MoL was determined to implement payment of land development taxes or land rent through only digitally from July next year.
The country had witnessed three previous land survey records that are: cadastral survey (CS) during British rule in the sub-continent.
During the Pakistan era the first land survey, namely State Acquisition Survey (SA), was done which was later revised and called Revisional Survey (RS).
After the country's independence, Bangladesh Survey (BS Survey), Diara Survey and Dhaka City Survey were done.
And all the previous lands records by different surveyes will be updated through carrying out BDS for ensuring a proper and accurate lands records in the country.
Land secretary Muksodur Rahman Patwary, director general of the department of land records and survey Md Toslimul Islam, ndc, were also present, according to the MOL.

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