Karnataka's Jamabandi Process to Go Fully Online from Next Year
In a significant move towards digital governance, Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has announced that the Jamabandi land survey process will be conducted online from next year. The minister made this declaration while convening a progress review meeting of the Gadag district revenue department, emphasizing the government's commitment to making the entire survey process completely paperless.
Digital Transformation Mandate
"Henceforth, survey sketches must be in digital format," stated Minister Gowda. He revealed that a pilot project is currently underway in Gadag district through the Pauti app, and its progress needs to be enhanced. "The revenue department must be fully digitised, and this process should be completed by March-end," he added, setting a clear deadline for this technological overhaul.
Progress Metrics and Priorities
During the meeting, specific progress metrics were highlighted. In Gadag district, Aadhaar seeding has reached 85.6% completion, with instructions to take necessary steps to achieve 100%. However, document scanning and uploading work lags at only 48% completion, requiring acceleration.
The minister outlined several priority areas including:
- Pauti app implementation
- Land security schemes
- Land beat operations
- Jamabandi processes
- Land subdivision tasks
"All records, including responses, should be easily accessible to citizens," Gowda emphasized, highlighting the citizen-centric approach of this digitization drive.
Operational Challenges and Solutions
The meeting also addressed operational challenges. Shirahatti MLA Chandru Lamani raised concerns about village accountants' availability to the public, noting that despite separate offices being identified for them, they often remain inaccessible. Responding to this, Minister Gowda instructed district officials to take necessary steps to prevent such situations from recurring.
Additionally, the minister set March 16 as the last date for submitting revenue village proposals, instructing all officials to ensure timely submission.
Broader Context and Recognition
MLC SV Sankanur provided important context, mentioning that among the 43 departments in Karnataka, only 3-4 are functioning well according to recent reports, with the revenue department being one of them. "This was possible due to the proactive efforts of the revenue minister," Sankanur acknowledged.
He further connected the department's digitization efforts to larger national initiatives, stating: "The digitisation of the revenue department is a commendable step in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative."
Implementation and Verification
The meeting also covered practical implementation aspects. DC CN Sreedhara presented detailed progress statistics on various revenue department projects, providing a data-driven assessment of current operations.
Minister Gowda stressed the importance of proper verification during insurance and compensation provision for lands in deceased persons' names, ensuring that records are accurately maintained throughout the digitization process.
This comprehensive digitization push represents a major step forward in Karnataka's governance modernization, promising greater transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in land revenue administration for citizens across the state.
