GUWAHATI: The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) government in Assam has achieved a rare milestone by recording 100% digitisation of land records, replacing the outdated manual file system and setting a benchmark in transparent governance for the entire Northeast.
The Northeast has 10 autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution – three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, and one in Tripura. These councils are empowered to manage land, forest and local governance in their jurisdictions. However, they have long grappled with infrastructural gaps and administrative bottlenecks.
In an attempt to ease governance, the BTR government launched an e-Office system, ensuring 100% digitisation of land records. The adoption of tech-driven governance has not only reshaped the administration within the BTR but also set an example for other autonomous tribal councils across the region to follow.
The e-Office system allows electronic handling of files, real-time tracking of decisions, and processing of online approvals. Every land parcel has now been mapped, updated and stored securely in digital format.
The digitisation of records has significantly facilitated the processing of applications under Mission Bwiswmuthi, which provides services such as mutation of land and updating of land records. This has enabled people to verify ownership and receive digitally signed documents without the alleged interference of middlemen or the need to physically visit government offices.
The digitisation process began in early 2023 and was recently completed, creating a resilient ecosystem for land governance. However, the exercise was not without challenges, as officials had to conduct ground-level surveys across the five districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur and Udalguri, which collectively form the BTR.
The process involved converting land records, including several decades-old documents, into digital format. Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping was also incorporated to ensure accuracy in land boundaries, thereby reducing possibilities of disputes.
“There are instances when land disputes triggered social tensions. Land digitisation has helped maintain transparency and minimise chances of corruption, forgery and conflict,” an official from the BTR Land Revenue Department said, calling it “a new era of digital governance in a tribal region.”