The finalisation of contours of land record authority by Punjab government is certainly a step in the right direction as the authority will help formulate strategies, provide efficient services to people, prepare policies and plan for land record management, advise the government to improve and modernise land record management, develop a human resource management, manage technical cooperation and last but not the least coordinate with other government departments, including foreign organisations and international inter-governmental organisations. As per the plan, the authority will be created under a law which is reportedly being introduced initially through an ordinance.
It is pertinent to mention here that Land Records Management and Information System (LRMIS) is a revolutionary project to digitise the paper based land records and create an automated system of management of land records in the province. Hats off to Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif as his untiring efforts from dawn to dusk let this dream come true. With the introduction of LRMIS, a reliable, efficient and transparent system for maintaining land records and providing access to these records has been ensured. Moreover, it is no doubt that this computerised system has made the delivery of services quite efficient as now the right holders are getting the ‘fard’ in just 30 minutes whereas the process of mutation has also been made very efficient.
The project has substantial impacts on the ground as it has not only made the service delivery quite efficient but empowered women by protecting their rights in inheritance and facilitating their access to land records. The computerisation of land records will certainly bring greater transparency to land records management and improve the quality of services being provided to the general public. As Punjab is considered as the lifeline of Pakistan’s economy which is based on agriculture therefore, the computerisation of land records in all 143 tehsils of Punjab will empower individuals, stabilise communities by reducing social exclusion and improve governance and functioning of land markets.
Syed Ali Qasim
Lahore