Visakhapatnam Civic Body is Planning to Digitise its Land Records

The VMRDA (The Developer for the Metropolitan Region of Visakhapatnam) will soon start on the digitisation of land in its ownership. Earlier, a survey of 200 acres of government land was conducted by the urban planning authority and now the survey for the digitisation process needs to be expedited.

 VMRDA Plans to Digitise Land Records 

VMRDA will launch a joint investigation for the survey, recruiting officials from its planning and estate wings, in addition to requesting assistance from the district revenue department. The vacant property, landlocked in court proceedings, encroached land, and developed land will be listed.

A certain Type of Patta holders approached the court and obtained a status quo on their property, which was actually transferred from the government to VMRDA according to records.

Other than encroachments, the revenue department took back several land areas. In addition, the land acquisition process for some of the land has not been completed. VMRDA has agreed to file pending cases with early counter-affidavits.

The development authority receives possession of land in two ways, according to VMRDA officials, one through land acquisition and another through the government's transfer of land. The relocation of such government land dates back to the 1980s.

VMRDA is also taking different steps to protect its property. In addition, the VMRDA has been putting up fencing around its property, clearing encroachments and filing criminal charges against the offenders. It has removed encroachments on around 1 acre of land at Kurmannapalem in Vizag a few weeks ago.

VMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner P Koteswara Rao said many advantages would come from the digitisation process. The VMRDA is able to include these land holdings as government land in the list of 22-A prohibited lands. Then no private individual would be able to occupy these landholdings or register them. Also, digital inventory of land holdings would also help VMRDA repurpose them.

The procedure will instal boundary stones around these lands, as physical markers. The stones will be almost three feet below the ground and four feet above the ground.

By: Shailaja K