Kerala Land Authority Formed to Prevent Property Disputes by Government

In an effort to enhance transparency in land-related deals and transactions, the Kerala state government is on the verge of setting up the Kerala Land Authority. The project, financially supported by the Central Computerization Project, has formulated a preliminary plan. According to this plan, property survey sketches will be automatically updated using GIS technology upon the owner’s application for property mutation, eliminating the need for separate submissions.

This initiative aims to provide property owners with comprehensive documentation, thereby minimizing the potential for disputes. The forthcoming authority will be responsible for several administrative tasks, encompassing property document computerization, map digitalization, survey settlement document revision and updates, Registration Department computerization, rule revisions, and online coordination between revenue, registration, and survey departments.

The Land Revenue Commissioner-conceived project underwent extensive discussion during a high-level meeting convened by the Revenue Department, which allocated Rs 10 lakh for implementation. The autonomous Kerala Land Authority will engage officials from revenue, registration, and survey departments, with specific operational details yet to be determined. Remarkably, Kerala’s ongoing land record computerization program, initiated in 1998 with central government backing, remains unfinished.

Previously established as separate initiatives for revenue, registration, and survey departments, this endeavor saw subsequent projects. Although the prior government introduced the Kerala Land Record Modernization project, the current administration retracted it. A singular portal amalgamating all revenue department services, including land tax payments, is also in the works, with the state allocating Rs 23 crore for this purpose.

Currently, the revenue department provides a myriad of services through numerous login portals, creating challenges for efficient and timely service delivery to both officials and the public.