KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was on Monday informed that almost 80 per cent of the land revenue record gutted in the violent activities in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in 2007 had been computerised.

Furnishing a statement and replying to lawmakers’ queries during Question Hour in the provincial assembly, Sindh Revenue and Relief Minister Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman said that the digitisation of the entire land revenue record was to be completed by June 2018, but it was delayed owing to delay in release of funds.

He said that the Rs486.889 million project of preservation of land revenue record and revamping of survey settlement department of the Board of Revenue would now be completed by June 30, 2019 as only 20pc record was to be digitised.

The minister said that more than 10,000 pages of old land record register had been chemically and digitally preserved and stored at laboratories established in the Hyderabad and Sukkur offices of the survey settlement department.

Answering another question, Makhdoom Zaman said that a geographic information system unit had been established in the Board of Revenue to digitise maps at deh and taluka levels to assess encroachment on state land. He said all district- and taluka-level maps had been prepared and were available online.

In reply to a question, the minister said that six digital scanning units had been established in each divisional headquarters to replace microfilm technology. “Registered deeds are scanned and indexed and stored in a centralised data centre which enabled checking of details of registered deeds,” he added.

He said the National Database and Registration Authority had carried out a system study to implement automated registration and stamps’ system in the province. He said the system would be implemented during the current year.

Separately, he said that 2,043 judicial matters had been filed by various persons before the BoR during the past three years. Of them, he said, 584 cases had been disposed of.

In reply to a question asked by Grand Democratic Alliance member Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Makhdoom Zaman said that 287,233 100-kilogram wheat bags had been distributed free of cost among as many families in drought-hit parts of Tharparkar.

Besides, 50,973 100kg wheat bags were given to women beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme from May 18 to June 30, 2018. The minister said that Rs4.325m, sanctioned by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, was distributed among 173 victims whose houses were burnt in an accidental fire at Udani village in Chhachhro taluka.

Answering another question, he said the flood relief commissioner, civil defence and fire section were not integrated with the relief department. “The relief department is working under the command of the relief commissioner separately,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2019