The Revenue department has commenced steps to digitise title deeds and introduce unique thandaper number (UTN) to check land frauds and enhance transparency in transactions.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan says the e-pattayams (title deeds) will have QR codes and digital signatures that are bound to simplify tracking land records and identifing the current landowners. The first batch of e-pattayams were distributed to 100 beneficiaries in Malappuram a day ago. The title deeds that have already been distributed will also be digitised in a phased manner.
Forging ahead with steps to digitise land records in the State, the government is also embarking on a mission to link Aadhaars with land records to allocate UTNs to landowners. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally inaugurate the major modernisation reforms at a function that will be held at the Collectorate here on Monday.
Mr. Rajan says land records would be linked with Aadhaars either through one-time passwords (OTPs) received in mobile phones or by biometric authentication in village offices. The government will soon commence steps to procure biometric scanners for the purpose.
With all land owned by a person in the State coming under a single UTN, the government will be able to detect violations of the ceiling land limits to distribute excess land among the landless. The reform will also effectively boost efforts to identify benami properties.
According to Mr. Rajan migrating to the UTNs are also bound to usher in several advantages including a marked change in service delivery. Besides enabling one to seek land documents with much ease, it will also simplify steps to avail of crop insurance and agricultural subsidies.
