The government’s land record digitisation project, meant to eradicate widespread corruption in the land management sector, is stuck in a bureaucratic bottleneck.
Documents obtained from the land ministry show the government decided, in January 2010, to digitise the land record system via public-private partnership (PPP), which would save the government Tk6.99bn.
Previously the project initiative was estimated to cost Tk9bn under the government, but when private sector entrepreneurs proposed doing the same job for Tk2.31bn, the government opted for the PPP, said the ministry document.
Following the decision, ten local IT firms came forward to form a company named Tera-Tech to introduce a digital mapping and land revenue management system.
The firms that comprise Tera-Tech are: Data Soft, IBCS-PRIMAX Software (Bangladesh), Development Planners & Consultants, Business Automation, Techno Vista, Spectrum, E-generation, Technohaven, Upload Yourself and HSTC.
In March 2010, Tera-Tech got the government go-ahead and started its work.
However, no visible progress has been made to date, even though Tera-Tech submitted its feasibility study and proposal for the project to the land ministry in mid-2010.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, a Tera-Tech official said the present method of land recording in local land management and registration offices, such as the Tahsil Office and the Sub-register’s Office, follow the age-old system of hand-written documents.
These land record and registration offices are filled with tattered and handwritten paper documents and registers. Many of those being almost 100-year old are damaged either due to humidity or half-eaten by booklice, wood worms, termites, mice and cockroaches, said the Tera-Tech official.
The official said the absence of an updated database is the major reason behind land disputes. Tera-Tech proposed a central database having a comprehensive link to all land-related organisations under a single network.
With such a set-up the government officials sitting at their offices can see any transformation of land or change of ownership.
Also the landowners or buyers should not need to visit more than 10 government offices for documents as all of them can be found in a single database, he added.
The official said their proposed model was similar to the digitised land recording system used in developed countries. Also land digitisation.
