Karnataka govt plans tech fix to automate revenue processes

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said manual mutation had been eliminated in Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

The state government wants to deploy technology to “automate” the existing system of mutation - the process to record change in land ownership - so that physical interface between officials and citizens is reduced.

“With technology, physical procedures have become redundant. We’re identifying various procedures that can be eliminated, so that delays and harassment people face are reduced significantly,” Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told DH.

“For example, when a property is registered, it is sent to the tahsildar’s office for mutation. We were reviewing this. Rarely do tahsildars overrule a registration. We have the Bhoomi (land records) and property registration (Kaveri) software. If a property gets registered, then there’s no harm in effecting mutation,” he said.

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Gowda said manual mutation had been eliminated in Tamil Nadu and Telangana. “I asked officers why we can’t do it. What calamity has struck in Tamil Nadu and Telangana? It seems to be working there,” he said. Aadhaar would figure prominently in Gowda’s plans to simplify procedures in his department.

He said the scope for automation would go up if Bhoomi, Kaveri and Aadhaar systems are connected.

“The revenue inspectors actually sits in the taluk office and gives his or her thumb for a transaction to go through. With Aadhaar, we’ll know that there’s no impersonation. So, there’s no reason for one person to sit and vet documents,” Gowda said.

Gowda is also planning to introduce automation in the offices of the tahsildars, assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners for which a study is underway.

“If the tahsildar has to hear a case, it is still manual. Everything is manual. We’re trying to see if a citizen can file a complaint online through an automated portal. The case will be escalated to the tahsildar. Barring arguments that need to take place physically, the rest of the process can be automated. A lot of human interfacing can be reduced,” Gowda said.

To cut corruption during revenue adjudication by ACs and tahsildars, Gowda has said that cases should be posted for orders within 15 days after arguments are over. “Posting for orders without a date is nothing but an invitation: come and meet me,” Gowda said.

The minister pointed out that tahsildar offices are normally crowded. “Going to the revenue office is half the job of a farmer,” he said.

“Hundreds of people wait endlessly throughout the day...like Waiting for Godot.”