Computerisation of KMC land record in doldrums

[Salman]

KARACHI: Despite separate allocations in every budget for digitisation of land record, the Information Technology Department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has yet to computerise the record of land purchase, sale and transfer, thus indirectly facilitating the elements doctor original land record.

The computerisation of land record project was started during the tenure of former Mayor Karachi Naimatullah Khan. However, it could not be continued as relevant officers in the department kept on pointing loopholes in the project, and eventually it could not be completed.

Sources said that some vested interests did not to make this project a success, as it would have closed many gates of corruption and fraud.

A sum of Rs 347.59 million in the year 2011-12 for IT Department KMC was allocated while in 2012-13, a massive amount of Rs680.37 million was earmarked, with separate allocations of computerisation of records.

Sources said that three departments deals with land affairs in the city - KMC, Karachi Development Authority and Board of Revenue; however, resistance was found at various levels for computerisation of land record.

A KDA official, on condition of anonymity, said land records had largely been corrupted by officials. In many cases they had prepared two documents of a single plot to delay the process of handing over the property to original owners. He said a few years ago, the land record computerisation project was also awarded to IBM Company but some KMC officials created obstacles in their work and the project was halted.

He said it also happened a few months ago that some of the land record files were burnt mysteriously and no subsequent investigation was held in this connection. He said encroachment on government and private lands was rampant in Karachi and it could never be stopped keeping in view the ineffectiveness of the authorities concerned.