CM Siddaramaiah calls for enhanced efficiency in revenue services

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged the state’s Revenue Department to build on its progress and further enhance efficiency, ensuring faster and more citizen-friendly services. He commended the department’s advancements in digitisation and public service delivery while emphasising the need for continuous improvement to make services more seamless and accessible.

During a review meeting held on Wednesday, CM Siddaramaiah discussed multiple issues in the state, including faster land mutation and conversion processes, having regular master plan updates for better urban planning, swift resolution in revenue court, strengthening land records management and many other issues.

The Chief Minister directed officials to expedite land mutation and conversion cases to benefit citizens. He highlighted that the automation system has significantly improved the speed of land mutation, with 65 pc of cases now being completed within a day.

“Let’s work towards making the process even more efficient so that people receive timely services”, he said. He further stressed that land conversion should be completed within a month and clarified that areas covered under a Master Plan do not require conversion. “A formal directive must be issued to ensure smooth implementation”, he added.

Siddaramaiah underscored the importance of updating Master Plans in a timely manner to facilitate planned urban development. “A well-maintained Master Plan prevents public inconvenience and supports sustainable growth”, he noted.

Further emphasizing timely justice, the Chief Minister called for faster disposal of revenue court cases, particularly at the Tahsildar and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) levels. Talking about the revenue courts, he added, “Tahsildar courts should resolve cases within three months, and long-pending cases in SDM courts must be cleared within a fixed timeframe”.

Siddaramaiah praised the department’s Aadhaar-seeding initiative, which has linked over 2.22 crore accounts, significantly reducing fraudulent land transactions. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining transparency in land records, ensuring that unauthorized layouts do not receive land documents.

“The ‘B Khata’ regularization must be completed within a defined timeline to prevent unauthorized developments in the future”, he stated. He also emphasized the need to expedite the ‘Pouthi Khata’ campaign, ensuring that land records are updated for properties still in the names of deceased owners.

On the various technology-driven initiatives, the CM lauded the use of drone surveys for property mapping, which has enabled the issuance of property cards in urban areas. “Drone surveys have already covered 21 districts, and under the ‘Bhoosuraksha’ project, eight crore original land documents have been digitized across all 31 districts”, he informed.

Siddaramaiah reaffirmed his government’s commitment to farmers by directing officials to ensure fair ex-gratia compensation when government land is reclaimed.  He also prioritized the conversion of 3,800 habitations, including ‘Hattis’ and ‘Tandas,’ into revenue villages. “This must be completed within a set timeline to benefit rural communities”, he urged.

Expressing concern over the slow pace of administrative building construction in newly created taluks, he added, “Of the 64 new taluks, only 14 have administrative buildings. The remaining projects should be expedited to provide better governance at the local level”, he emphasized.

“Our goal is to enhance service delivery, eliminate delays, and ensure that every citizen has a hassle-free experience. Accountability and efficiency are key to achieving this,” he added. Concluding the meeting, Siddaramaiah reiterated the department’s pivotal role in delivering efficient governance. (ANI)