‘Ente Bhoomi’ promises to make land transactions swift & error-free
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For long, bureaucratic bottlenecks and compliance-related hassles have been dragging procedures related to land deals in Kerala. This is set to change, if a state government initiative is any indication.
Billed as a one-stop solution for land transactions the government’s ‘Ente Bhoomi’ integrated land management system is expected to ensure speedy disposal of files and accuracy of documents.
The success of its trial run at Ujar Ulvar, a village in Kasaragod, has prompted the government to include at least one village from each district in the ‘Ente Bhoomi’ single-window portal, within a month.
Details of only digitally surveyed villages – 300 as of now – are available in the portal. The rest of the villages are being covered under the statewide digital survey in phases.
At present, land transactions at Ujar Ulvar are now performed through the ‘Ente Bhoomi’ portal. The process starts with the buyer or seller applying for thandaper certificate and survey sketch of the proposed land via the portal.
These are uploaded to the portal by the village office and survey office, respectively. The land owner then fills in the template of the transaction deed available on the portal.
The land details appear automatically and the seller can list any specific conditions regarding the transaction. It is then submitted to the registration department online.
Land tax payment also possible via ‘Ente Bhoomi’
After completing the transaction process, the registration department will push the document to the village office for mutation and the survey department for subsequent changes in the Land Parcel Map (LPM). Land tax payment is also possible through the portal.
‘Ente Bhoomi’ helps the government with real-time updation of the LPM in its possession. Sale or other types of transfer of land are reflected in the LPM automatically.
“Ente Bhoomi is Kerala’s flagship digital land governance platform that brings all land-related services, including survey maps, transactions, mutations, tax payments, location sketches and encumbrance certificates, under a single, unified interface, said Sambasiva Rao, director, survey & land records department.
“It redefines last-mile service delivery by bridging the digital divide and ensuring transparency, efficiency and accessibility for every citizen. By integrating multiple departments into a seamless digital workflow, ‘Ente Bhoomi’ stands as a national model for inclusive and technology-driven land administration,” he said.
DIgital push
‘Ente Bhoomi’, or the Integrated Land Information Management System, is a comprehensive digital land information system. Only a few countries have comprehensive digital land record systems, according to the survey department.
The portal offers services like land transfer, template for land registration, pre-mutation sketch, encumbrance certificate, land tax payment, fair value information, auto mutation, location sketch and re-categorisation of land.
Kerala leads the country
Several states and union territories have consulted Kerala for emulating the ‘Ente Bhoomi’ initiative. Kerala has agreed to offer software support to Assam besides guidance. Recently, a team from Puducherry visited Kerala, while an online session was conducted for Rajasthan.
