Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the Revenue Department to enhance service efficiency, reduce delays, and ensure a seamless experience for citizens.
During a review meeting, he acknowledged the department’s progress in digitization and public service delivery but stressed the need for further improvements.
Faster Processing of Land Services
The Chief Minister directed officials to expedite land mutation and conversion cases. He noted that the automation system has significantly improved the speed of land mutation, with 65% of cases now being completed within a day. “Efforts must be made to further streamline the process and ensure timely service delivery,” he said.
He also instructed that land conversion should be completed within a month and clarified that it is unnecessary in areas covered by a Master Plan. “Officials must issue formal directives on this without delay,” he ordered.
Regular Updates to Master Plans
Highlighting urban planning concerns, Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of updating Master Plans to prevent public inconvenience. “Delays in Master Plan updates have caused unnecessary hardships. Officials must ensure timely revisions,” he said.
Swift Disposal of Revenue Court Cases
The Chief Minister called for a faster resolution of revenue court cases, particularly at the Tahsildar and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) levels. “Tahsildar courts must resolve cases within three months. Long-pending cases in SDM courts must be cleared within a fixed timeframe,” he directed. He noted a significant reduction in pending cases but urged further efforts, especially in SDM and District Commissioner (DC) courts. To accelerate the process, the government has appointed 18 special SDMs in Bengaluru.
Strengthening Land Records Management
Siddaramaiah praised the department’s Aadhaar-seeding initiative, which has linked over 2.22 crore accounts, helping to prevent fraudulent land transactions.
He further emphasized, “We have already directed that unauthorized layouts should not be issued land records. The process of granting ‘B Khata’ as a one-time settlement must be completed within a fixed timeframe, ensuring that unauthorized developments do not emerge in the future.”
He stressed the need to expedite the ‘Pouthi Khata’ campaign to update land records still in the names of deceased owners.
Technology-Driven Revenue Administration
The Chief Minister highlighted the use of drone surveys for property mapping in urban areas, with property cards now being issued under this initiative. “Drone surveys have already been conducted in 21 districts, and under the ‘Bhoosuraksha’ project, eight crore original land documents have been digitized across all 31 districts,” he noted.
Support for Farmers and Rural Development
Siddaramaiah directed officials to ensure a proper ex-gratia system for farmers occupying government land when such land is reclaimed. He also called for the speedy conversion of 3,800 habitations, including ‘Hattis’ and ‘Tandas,’ into revenue villages. “This process must be completed within a fixed timeline,” he ordered.
Infrastructure Development in New Taluks
The Chief Minister expressed concern over the slow construction of administrative buildings in newly created taluks. “Out of 64 new taluks, only 14 have administrative buildings. The remaining projects must be completed at the earliest,” he instructed.
Strict Accountability for Service Delays
Concluding the meeting, Siddaramaiah reiterated the department’s crucial role in governance and warned against inefficiency. “Delays, harassment, and negligence will not be tolerated. Immediate measures must be taken to enhance service delivery,” he said.
