BY BILAL HUSSAIN
- Additional deputy commissioner says funds are awaited to complete the project
ISLAMABAD: The residents of Islamabad are still waiting for the computerisation of land records from around eight years from now. Despite the Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) administration’s claims, no progress can be witnessed in this regard.
On Friday, the ICT Admin Arif Dar was asked to move a fresh project concept (PC-1) for the remaining work to the planning commission. The admin told Pakistan Today that this was the second time PC-1 was being submitted to Planning Commission.
According to further detail provided by an official, the original project cost was estimated at almost Rs88 million, and having about 0.6 million landowners in 2006. But the revised PC-1, which took up the cost to almost Rs153 million and the number of landowners exceeding 0.8 million, is pending in planning commission for approval since two years.
Arif Dar informed that the planning commission officials have said to work with Rs88 million, which is the estimated cost of the original project in 2006.
How is it possible to work with the amount of the year 2006 after over a decade, he asked and said that the expenditures have increased so it’s not possible to work with Rs88 million now.
Another move is also being made in the form of revision of PC-1 as a reminder to the planning commission. According to this second time revised PC-1, the cost has been estimated at Rs149 million and the number of landowners calculated has increased to the level of 0.8 million.
An official said that an amendment needed in the land revenue act in the project was also a serious hurdle in the way of federal land being computerised. This amendment was made by Punjab when they succeeded, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that documents regarding already completed computerised land record of 33 mouzas of Islamabad have no legal value since the record was compiled without jama bandi. Historically, the project initiated in 2009 with the collaboration of Ministry of Information and Technology was tasked to complete the work of total 112 mouzas of Islamabad by the year 2013.
But only 33 of them were completed when the ministry disassociated itself from the project in 2014 and the federal government ordered the ICT administration to complete the rest of the work.
An official talking to Pakistan Today said that the completed record of 33 mouzas was incomplete because they were compiled without jamma bandi (a periodical record that is carried out by the revenue department every four years). Since no subsequent efforts were made to update the jama bandi of these computerized mouzas, the computer data had been damaged, the official added.
The patwaris are also creating hindrances in the computerisation of land record in the capital since they would be deprived of corruption involved in their practice.
The main features of the project include issuance of fard within 30 minutes, transfer of ownership within 50 minutes and safety for landowners through biometric data record.
The curse of old traditional patwari system can be eliminated only through the practical use of the computerised project in the capital. The project will also have a substantial impact as it has not only made the service delivery efficient but also empowered women in other provinces by protecting their rights in inheritance and facilitating their access to land records.
Another objective of the project is to convert the outdated, decades-old system of land record to meet the global standards.
With the digital land record, people will also be able to get rid of the corrupt land mafia and the system will also ensure convenient property transferring.
“I was asked to pay Rs15,000 to get a fard bae (final document required before a sale deed so that a piece of land can be obtained),” said Asim Nawaz in the capital. “Tell me where people should go and what should they do,” he added.
While talking to Pakistan Today Additional Deputy Commissioner Kamran Cheema said that the process was pending in the planning commission, and they were also waiting for the funds so that the project could be completed.