Efforts under way to computerise land record of Gwadar

ISLAMABAD: As many as 32 percent computerisation of Gwadar’s land record has been completed with an aim to computerise the whole land’s record.

With the completion of the computerisation process, every facility is expected to be available to the public under the roof of central facilities in a one-window operation, including land transfer.

The district administration has reported the development pertaining to the computerisation to the senior officials. It said the computerisation of land records is currently underway in Gwadar.

In a progress review meeting, it was noted that 32 percent of the record’s computerisation has been completed, while information and communication technologies (ICT) solutions are replacing manual records, a move expected to resolve land issues and litigations in the district.

A revolution in computerising all data, providing online accessibility, and instituting robust backup plans is deemed essential for Gwadar’s development. It would put in place paperless government offices in due course.

The digitisation of land records is expected to reduce land disputes, subsequently fostering economic development by boosting trade and agriculture. As such, it is crucial for the development and management of smart cities, holding great importance in the Gwadar smart city plan.

The sources claimed that the land record’s digitisation initiative in Balochistan, especially in Gwadar, is set to revolutionise the province’s administrative processes, increase transparency, and prevent corruption and land grabbing in the future.

According to the officials, the digitisation of land records is part of a broader drive, under which all the government departments are being digitised. As per the vision, digital facilities will be provided in Gwadar, Pishin, Jaffarabad, and Quetta, including individual registries, maps, land tax, collection SMS services, etc.

The officials said that the related departments have been working on this project since 2017, converting manual land records into computerised records. A computerised person will be issued in the centre facilities.

The registry entries and instant computerised transfers, immediate access to digitised land map equivalents, and a portal for filing complaints to the public will also be available, according to the officials.

In the next phase, every facility is expected to be available to the public under the roof of central facilities in a one-window operation, including land transfer. People could directly go to the facility centre instead of the Patwari, Tehsildar or Revenue Department’s officials.