MoU on land owners’ online verification

LAHORE : Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Monday, signed an MoU with National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) for introducing an online verification system.

Officials said as per the MoU, LDA required verifying all the applicants and their family members’ records to identify the legal owner of the land. Furthermore, the land owners’ verification is currently done through VERISYS services. The LDA software captures the owners’ fingerprints; however, these are not verified by the centralised national database of Nadra. Therefore, LDA also requires the Nadra’s biometric services for the real time verification of land owners along with their family member details.

They said Nadra, besides its statutory duties inter alia to maintain Citizen Database, is engaged in proving solutions for system integration, software development, project management and implementation, etc. It added that LDA desired to engage Nadra for the project and in this regard the parties had reached certain understandings which they wished to reduce in writing by entering into this MoU prior to entering into a mutually agreed definitive binding agreement (“Intended Agreement”).

As per the MoU, both Nadra and LDA agreed to carry out the project with Nadra providing assistance in the design, development, installation and implementation of the system. The processes currently used by LDA will remain intact. LDA also desired the same services to be provided in District Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib and Kasur to facilitate its clientage for an intended period of one year.

Nadra shall act as a facilitation agency on LDA’s behalf for providing the verified data through bio verification of applicants.

The term of the project will be one year extendable with the parties’ mutual consent, from the date of signing of the intended agreement between the parties. LDA shall ensure guaranteed volume of applicant visiting LDA office as specified in the intended agreement.

Nadra will establish one site which will be used for processing and fee collection in LDA Centre as per terms and conditions agreed in the intended agreement. All legislative measures in respect of giving effect to the project, MoU and the intended agreement between the parties shall be taken by the LDA in a timely manner to avoid any unforeseeable complications.

LDA shall grant Nadra under the intended agreement, the exclusive right and authority to design, develop and implement the software for the project, to build infrastructure for establishing Nadra verification counter at LDA premises, including hardware, software, LAN, WAN, UPS and Generator. LDA shall provide Human Resource at the biometric verification counter to run the operations limited to this project, to demand, collect and retain revenues in the shape of verification fees as per the agreed financial terms detailed in the intended agreement.

Nadra will charge fee according to the processing category, biometric verification. Family verification, applicant status verification (deceased, married) exclusive of all federal and provincial taxes. All services provided by Nadra under the intended agreement shall be exclusive of all present and future taxes levied under the provincial or federal law.

It shall be the LDA’s responsibility to provide site for establishment of Nadra processing facility along with all utilities. LDA shall specifically issue a policy directive or any appropriate instrument for the information of general public about the Nadra verifications and completion of all necessary documents before coming to LDA office.