`Aap ki Zameen Aap ki Nigrani’: A historic initiative that revolutionalized land records system

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government has launched a historic initiative to ensure hassle-free online access to Land Records System in the Union Territory. `Aap ki Zameen Aap ki Nigrani’ shall allow public users to search and view copies of scanned data online on CIS Portal http://landrecords.jk.gov.in/.

The initiative has been introduced to reduce interference of revenue officials in land dealings and give people the right to access their land records at a click of a button, thereby reducing manipulation and improving the efficiency of Revenue offices substantially. It was a sequel to Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) envisaging enhanced services to the common people in land matters.

DILRMP was formally launched in the UT in April 2016 for improving online accessibility to Land Records System bringing an end to corrupt practices thereby ensuring quality services in Sub Registrar and Tehsil offices. Lieutenant Governor’s administration ensured that the land record program which was being implemented at a slower pace is speeded up and completed for the benefit of the common masses.

As part of program implementation in UT, 7.70 crore pages of Revenue record and 55216 Musavi (maps) have been scanned besides the establishment of 3895 Ground Control Points. Also, a Web-based Enterprise Geo-Information System (GIS) has been developed under the initiative.

Under Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities on “Aapki Zameen Aapki Nigrani”, the government organized special camps at Tehsil and Block level offices, Niabats, Patwar Khanas, and Panchayat Ghars to educate the public about the digital platform where people can access their land records with one click.

“We are grateful to the present administrations at the Center and UT level for launching such technological innovations in all spheres of development making the lives of people comfortable and convenient”, maintained Sikamndar Noorani, District President of All Jammu Kashmir Panchayat Conference while appreciating this historic initiative. “Apki Zameen Aapki Nigrani’ has empowered common people to check their land records on their mobiles getting rid of moving from pillar to post. I thank the LG administration for this revolutionary step, he added”.

Similarly, Jehangir Ahmed of Bachpora says that visiting the Revenue office was a time-consuming process and quite suffering but now I can check my land records while sitting at my home. The government has also initiated the process of issuing trilingual land passbooks as a measure to fill the information vacuum and promote people’s ease of access to the revenue records in Jammu and Srinagar districts.

The first of its kind land passbook is being issued to the legal owners of land in Jammu and Kashmir in Urdu, English, and Hindi languages. As a reform to further boost transparency in public dealings of the Revenue Department, a mechanism of issuing revenue passbooks to the people containing information on all their legal land possessions has been evolved and a deadline of 15th August 2022 has been set by the government for completion of the process.

Showket Ahmed Rather of Tengpora Srinagar has all praise for the government’s initiative, who says, “It is a good step, everyone will be benefited. Earlier getting revenue extracts used to take months. With the Land passbook, now everything is with the people. We have been relieved of the cumbersome process and nightmare of visiting revenue offices.” For Khurshed Ahmed Reshi of Tengpora, the initiative will expose people who grabbed government land and built infrastructure on public land.