From Paper to Pixels: Digitisation of Land Records in Karnataka

Capacity building can be defined as the process of equipping public officials, stakeholders, communities to continuously develop and strengthen their attitudes, skills and knowledge for effective and efficient public service delivery.

Over the years, there have been some transformational interventions in the capacity-building ecosystem in India that have improved the state of public service delivery and enhanced the quality of citizen-centric governance. 

This five-part blog series titled ‘Stories of Change’ delves into some of the successful yet seldom celebrated interventions by public officials that were instrumental in improving the execution capacity of our government.

In 1991, the Karnataka government initiated a revolutionary project that would transform the way land records were maintained in the state. Launched in 2000, Project Bhoomi was a unique initiative aimed at digitizing land records, creating a transparent and efficient system that would benefit the people and government alike.

The project was spearheaded by a dynamic officer named Rajiv Chawla, who recognized the potential of technology in streamlining governance. Chawla mobilized a task force of public officials to lead the digitization of land records in the state, working tirelessly to coordinate and collaborate with various government agencies and departments. The public officials worked diligently to scan cadastral maps, digitize land records, and create a centralized database to store the information. The process of digitization involved meticulous scanning and indexing of paper records, as well as integrating them with modern geospatial technology to accurately capture land boundaries.

The Bhoomi E-Governance project was a first-of-its-kind initiative in India that showcased the transformative potential of technology in governance and transparency. The project effectively demonstrated how technology could enable the government to create a transparent, efficient, and corruption-free system. For instance, one of the key features of the Bhoomi project was the implementation of a computerized system for generating a farmer's Record of Rights Tenancy & Crops (RTC), a crucial identity document that farmers require for obtaining bank loans, settling land disputes, and even using as collateral for bail. Before digitization, RTCs were manually generated by village accountants which would take several days or even weeks.

By 2002, the project had successfully computerized all 20 million land records belonging to 6.7 million landowners across 176 talukas of Karnataka. This impressive feat significantly improved the speed and accuracy of land record management, reducing the incidence of errors and corruption.

In conclusion, Project Bhoomi was a landmark achievement in the digitization of land records. The project was made possible by the vision and leadership of dynamic public officials like Rajiv Chawla, who understood the potential of technology in transforming governance. The success of Project Bhoomi has inspired other states to undertake similar initiatives, and today, digitization of land records is being carried out across the country, making it a truly national achievement.