Bhoomi, a governance success, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Karnataka's Bhoomi project, launched in 2000, has completed 25 years, transforming land record access in the state.
• Over 39.8 crore RTCs (Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops) have been issued, replacing handwritten records and intermediaries.
• 204 Bhoomi Kendras were established at the taluk level, digitizing nearly 2.5 crore land records for about 3.5 crore farmers.
• Integration with the Kaveri registration system reduced fraudulent transactions and eliminated middlemen in land registration.
• Crop compensation is now directly credited to farmers' bank accounts since 2016, bypassing intermediaries.
• Bhoomi data enabled the waiver of loans for nearly 20 lakh farmers during the 2018 loan waiver program.

Detailed Insights:

• Before Bhoomi, land administration relied on handwritten records maintained by village accountants, leading to delays and errors.
• Bhoomi aimed to replace discretion with rules, delay with timelines, and opacity with transparency in land record management.
• The project involved large-scale capacity building, training nearly 9,000 village accountants, 8,000 revenue inspectors, and 1,000 computer operators.
• The introduction of Mojini (Survey) software in 2007 brought land measurement and survey processes under a digital, time-bound framework.
• The 11E Sketch, a pre-conversion map, improved accuracy in land boundaries and area measurement, reducing land-related disputes.
• Integration with PM-Kisan, the Agriculture Department’s FRUITS platform, and Aadhaar seeding improved targeting and reduced leakages.
• Bhoomi has strengthened trust in public institutions by making the relationship between citizens and revenue administration more predictable.
• The success of Bhoomi is attributed to administrative restructuring, legal changes, and continuous institutional learning, not just technology.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC): A document providing details of land ownership, tenancy, and crops grown on a piece of land.
• Mutation: The process of updating land records when there is a change in ownership.
• Aadhaar Seeding: Linking Aadhaar numbers to land records and bank accounts to ensure targeted delivery of benefits.