Ranchi: President Draupadi Murmu presented the Bhoomi Samman 2023 at a function organized by the Union Ministry of Rural Development at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday. The awards were received by nine State Secretaries and 68 District Collectors along with their teams, who have excelled in achieving saturation of core components of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Program (DILRMP). In which Jharkhand also got Bhoomi Samman.
A total of 9 districts including Lohardaga, West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand have received this honour. On behalf of Lohardaga district, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Waghmare Prasad Krishna, Deputy Development Commissioner Sameera S and District Panchayati Raj Officer Pawan Kumar received the award. Platinum Grading Certificate was awarded as a mark of respect. The district has been given this honor for achieving 100 percent completion in the Digital India Land Records Modernization Program (DILRMP).
The President said digitization of land records will play an important role in the development of the country. She said it is necessary to accelerate rural development for the overall development of the country. Modernization of land records is a basic requirement for the development of rural areas, as the livelihood of the majority of the rural population is dependent on land resources. A comprehensive integrated land management system is of utmost importance for the overall development of rural areas.
The President said digitization increases transparency. Modernization and digitization of land records will have a huge impact on the development of the country. Digitization of land records and its linkage with various government departments will help in proper implementation of welfare schemes. It will also be very helpful in case of loss of documents due to calamities like flood and fire.
The President was happy to note that under the Digital India Land Information Management System, a unique Land Parcel Identification Number is being provided, which could be as useful as an Aadhaar card. She said this number would help in making and implementing new welfare schemes along with proper utilization of land. Linking e-courts with the land records and registration database would have many benefits. The transparency that is coming from digitization will curb unethical and illegal activities related to land.
The President said getting information related to land in a free and convenient manner would have many benefits. For example, it will help in resolving disputes related to ownership and use of land. She said that a large population of our country is embroiled in land-related disputes and a lot of time of administration and judiciary is wasted in these matters. Through digitization and connectivity of information, the energy of people and institutions, which is spent in resolving disputes, will be used for development.