Punjab to become first state to provide online land records

Reform commission recommendations to be implemented this year
FARIDKOT: Punjab is all set to become first state in the country to provide online access to land records by completing an ambitious Rs. 115 crores programme to computerize land records in all 153 Tehsils and Sub-Tehsils and putting them on net by the end of this year.



Inaugurating first ever fully computerized Fard Kendra (computerised land record kiosk) in the district Faridkot at the administrative complex today, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister instructed Deputy Commissioner Faridkot to provide computerized working desk to every Patwari in the district in the newly constructed Kendra and ensure that they provide the data of land record to the farmers without any delay.

Later interacting with media, Badal said that after providing computer connectivity in all the Tehsils, Punjab would develop software to provide online access to the land records, fulfilling the long pending demand of NRIs.  He said that Punjab government was committed to improve delivery system of all government services by providing door step services after the implementation of all recommendations of Administrative Reforms Commission.

Appreciating the Revenue department in achieving this gigantic task in a record time, Badal regretted that farmers since ages had been suffering at the hands of some corrupt revenue officials due to lack of transparency in the land records.  He said that this opaqueness in records was reason for many frauds and he was committed to bring transparency in the administration. He said that he started the computerisation of land records as a mission to free farmers from the clutches of bureaucratic hassles and empowers them by bringing land record information on the website. He said that this was a gigantic task and had inherent opposition from some quarters but we had been enabled to complete 75 percent of this work and total land record would be on the web by December 2010.

Badal came down heavily on Congress led UPA for blaming state governments for the price rise. He said that either the Centre government should delegate all powers of fixing the prices of inputs and outputs of agricultural produce to the state governments or accept its total failure in price management front. He said that Union government should either give power to the state governments to import and export agricultural produce according to the demand and supply position in the state or should not look for alibis for its failure on price rise front.

Badal said that administrative reform commission would submit its report to him tomorrow and whole report would be implemented by 31st December this year.  He said that he would ask the commission to also explore the difficulties being faced by NRIs especially in power of attorney issues. Mr. Badal said that next year people of Punjab would witness a sea change in the working of all public dealing departments as focus would be on providing hassle free services to the people. The Deputy Chief Minister said that besides this new Air-conditioned Suvidha Kendra for a cluster of every six village and in urban areas would provide easy access to services to citizens in a single window within six months.

Replying a query, Badal said that new Police Commissioners’ in the rank of DIG for Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar would be named in a day or two. He said that requisite changes in the nomenclature of other designation would be also made keeping in view the Commissionerate system of Delhi and Mumbai. The Deputy Chief Minister who is also having charge of Home Minister hoped that new system would bring an element of accountability in the Police force.   Speaking about appraisal of SSPs ordered by him, Badal said that quarterly appraisal would also focus on public perception on police in that district done by an independent agency. He said that he would also recommend same type of appraisal of all civil officers. “Officers would have to perform and show results and heads of laggards for two consecutive appraisals would roll”, Mr Badal quipped.

Later on addressing an impressive gathering, Badal reiterated his commitment to ensure the overall development of Faridkot district as he had made debut in politics from this place. He listed out the various development projects in the form of setting up of Flying Academy, Rs 100 crore modern jail, Rs 9 crore new Polytechnic college at Kotkapura, degree college at Jaitu besides installing 75 R.O. systems throughout the district in the current year. He also announced to reline the remaining irrigation channels in the current year.