GUJRAT: The land revenue department in Gujrat district has taken the initiative to archive and index registered property deeds dating back to 1947.
This computerization project aims to preserve the official land records, safeguard the rights of property owners, and combat fraudulent practices, according to an official from the local land revenue department.
As a pilot project, the scanning of registered property deeds was initially carried out in Lahore.
Now, the Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR) has decided to expand this effort across the entire province, starting with Gujrat.
Although the manual records of registered deeds have been available in the district’s official record rooms since 1890, the authorities have decided to begin the archiving and indexing process from 1947 to June 2023, as stated by a senior official of the department.
Within the span of two to three months, approximately 3.8 million documents will be scanned in the three tehsils of the Gujrat district.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Revenue (ADCR), Khizar Hayat Bhatti, informed Dawn that around 2.52 million documents are being scanned in Gujrat Tehsil, followed by approximately 1.1 million in Kharian Tehsil and around 160,000 in Sara I Alamgir Tehsil.
Bhatti emphasized that scanning and digitization of property deeds will enhance the security and protection of original owners’ rights and help prevent tampering, theft, or damage to the records.
The scanning work is currently underway simultaneously in the three tehsils, with hopes of completion within the designated timeframe by the private firm entrusted with the task by the BoR.
In a separate development, the Punjab government recently launched the E-registration of property deeds through an online portal facility.
This move towards digitization will make the data of property transfer deeds entirely digital, aligning with the requirements of the modern digital era, the spokesman added.
Source: DAWN
