On Tuesday, 18th July 2023, the President of India will preside over a momentous event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the prestigious “Bhoomi Samman” will be presented to nine State Secretaries and 68 (sixty-eight) District Collectors, along with their teams. These individuals and teams have excelled in achieving the saturation of the core components of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), which is the cornerstone of good governance. The Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri Giriraj Singh, expressed the significance of this event, highlighting that it marks the first time in the last 75 years that Revenue and Registration functionaries of the State will be honored for their outstanding performance. This year will serve as a landmark in institutionalizing the “Bhoomi Samman” scheme.
Shri Giriraj Singh emphasized that the “Bhoomi Samman” scheme stands as a shining example of cooperative federalism between the central and state governments, built on trust and partnership. The grading system for the awards is primarily based on the reports and inputs provided by the states and union territories regarding the computerization and digitization of land records. This collaborative approach ensures a robust and comprehensive assessment of the progress made in digitizing land records across the country.
Digitization of land records and registration processes plays a crucial role in mitigating the high number of pending court cases related to land disputes. This, in turn, helps to minimize the GDP loss caused by projects being stalled due to litigation. Shri Giriraj Singh highlighted that land records hold valuable information that can greatly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of various services and benefits provided by both central and state government departments.
Shri Giriraj Singh informed that the Department of Land Resources has achieved an impressive 94% digitization target nationwide. The department is determined to achieve 100% saturation of the core components of digitizing land records in all districts of the country by 31st March 2024. This ambitious goal aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of saturating public welfare schemes to ensure that no citizen is left behind.
