Computerisation of land records: Sindh first to do so

It is encouraging that the government has successfully completed the pilot phase of land records’ computerisation, becoming the first provincial government to accomplish this task, said Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday. He was speaking at the inauguration of the computerisation programme of the land records of Sindh at the Revenue House. “It is the prime duty of the Sindh Board of Revenue to maintain and preserve the land records of the province. Integrated computerised land records will ensure transparent land titles for all landowners of the province,” he said.
The chief minister said that the old land records are in a deteriorated condition and the government anticipates a quantum improvement in revenue as a consequence of the new system, which will open up opportunities for the private sectors. “NADRA is also assisting in this task for computerising urban as well as rural land records,” he added. Earlier, senior member of the Sindh Board of Revenue, Shazir Shamoon said that the objectives of the project are automation; introduction of latest technologies like satellite imagery for land use assessment and preservation of more than 100 years old revenue records.
Shamoon added that a scheme of Land Administration and Revenue Management Information System (LARMIS), development of GIS (digital mapping) and preservation of land records and revamping of survey and settlement has been introduced under the reforms programme.
He said informed that the GIS component including development and customisation of the GIS software; digital mapping of 23 districts, 121 talukas and 6,970 dehs; field survey, establishment of 216 ground control points and integration of geo-database with LARMIS and registration database has been initiated. So far under phase one, a pilot project has been completed; 100 percent mapping of all districts and Taluka’s has been finished while over 30 percent of deh level mapping has been done.
Farmers would also benefit from the scheme as this will be a key instrument for the land title for insurance industry and micro-finance facility will also be available for poor farmers. The provincial government anticipates that the project will be completed in 12 months and so far, 50,000 pages of records have been computerised.