*Maximum posts of Regional Directors lying vacant
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 22: Though the land settlement operation and modernization of land records have assumed greater importance everywhere in the country yet not a bit of seriousness is being shown towards these vital issues from any of the quarters in Jammu and Kashmir, which otherwise is witnessing numerous land related problems.
Many experiments were made in this regard during the past several years but all have failed to yield any positive result mainly because seriousness was never there. Due to this, there is no visible progress on both these vital aspects and land settlement and modernization of records still remain a distant dream.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that as there was not a bit of progress on the land settlement exercise, which was started way back in 1992, the then State Government in the month of August 2013 gave nod to the reorganization of the Settlement Organization. By way of this decision of the State Cabinet, seven posts of Regional Directors of Land Records and Surveys were created with the sole objective of giving necessary impetus to the settlement exercise across the State.
At that time, it was stated with much enthusiasm that the Regional Directors of Land Records and Surveys would speed up the settlement operation as the same is the primary exercise towards proper management of land record and an important tool to achieve the objective of computerization and preservation of the revenue record, sources said.
However, the initiative of creation of posts of Regional Directors of Land Records and Surveys proved as damp squib and land settlement exercise virtually came to a grinding halt as all those employees kept at the disposal of Regional Directors were transferred and posted in the newly created Administrative Units in the middle of 2014.
“What to talk of providing new technically trained manpower to the Regional Directors of Land Records and Surveys for expediting land settlement operation, the Government even started transferring the officers posted on these posts thereby rendering these posts defunct”, sources said while disclosing that at present majority of posts of Regional Directors have been lying vacant.
In this way, instead of giving much-talked about impetus to the settlement operation, the Government acted as stumbling block in this imperative exercise. “Wherever the settlement exercise has been conducted the same is not error-free as on one side there was no seriousness in conducting the same and on the other side there was no proper support in the shape of adequate trained manpower”, sources said.
Similar is the fate of modernization/computerization of land records in Jammu and Kashmir, which otherwise is also an important issue and Union Government is extending financial help to the States under its National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP).
The previous PDP-BJP Coalition Government in the month of June last year had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with M/s Ramtech Solutions, a Uttar Pradesh based company for computerization of land records. This MoU was signed by the then Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Dr Arun Kumar on behalf of J&K Government while as Manish Sanwalka, Director represented M/s Ramtech Solutions. The memorandum was signed in the presence of the then Minister for Revenue, Javed Mustafa Mir.
It was decided that in the first phase two districts of the State-Srinagar and Jammu will be taken up and on successful completion of this phase, 10 more districts would be covered in 2nd phase and remaining districts in third phase.
As per the MoU, M/s Ramtech has been entrusted with the task of not only computerization of land records but also digitized cadastral maps, integrate textual and spatial data, conduct survey/re-survey wherever required, update the records of the rights and develop a robust web-based GIS for a total end to solution.
Shockingly, the company could not start the entrusted work till date mainly because of hurdles being created by the Government officers, sources said, adding “when the company started work in Srinagar district, it was told to hold-on for some time and thereafter the company shifted its focus to Jammu but again some hidden hands played spoilsport and verbal directions were issued to M/s Ramtech representatives to wait for formal orders”.
In this way, both settlement exercise and computerization/ modernization of land records have suffered severe dent, sources said, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that Government officers instead of facilitating conduct of both these important exercises have always acted as stumbling blocks”.
Keeping in view the non-seriousness and road-blocks being created after regular intervals nobody knows when J&K would be able to complete settlement exercise and computerize the land records, sources wondered.
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