The government is implementing different programmes to modernise the country’s land management system, reports BSS. “As part of modernizing the land management system, a report has been prepared with digital land zoning maps covering two district towns of plain land and 152 upazilas of coastal area under Coastal Land Zoning Project,” Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said in his budget speech for fiscal 2015-‘16 in the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday. He said the formulation of land zoning reports for another 40 districts is underway. “I mentioned in my previous budget speech about the introduction of ‘Land Ownership Certificate’ in place of conventional khatian. To this end, digital survey in three mouzas of Jamalpur Sadar upazila has been completed under a pilot project,” he said. The government aims to develop physical infrastructure of all union land offices by 2019 and to digitize land related services in all upazila land offices by 2020, he added. With a view to preparing digital land sketch plan and khatian, digital survey of five mouzas of Savar has been completed under a pilot programme, he said, adding that similar surveys are being conducted in 48 mouzas of Palash upazila in Narsingdi. A special initiative will be undertaken this year under PPP to expedite issuance of land ownership certificate, the finance minister said.
“Presently, establishment of 20 land information service centres in 20 upazilas is underway. In addition, we have prepared a draft on “Agricultural Land Protection and Land Use Act” to ensure planned and appropriate use of land which will be finalized soon,” he added.