GUJRAT: Recent computer system upgrade at the Arazi Record Centers (ARCs) across the province is causing more problems than facilitating staff and applicants.

An officer working at an ARC told Dawn that Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) had upgraded its system called CLRMIS (Computerized Land Record Management Information System) on April 18 which had caused more difficulties to the laymen whose mutations could not be passed yet.

He said over 1000 mutations were pending in the Rawalpindi division alone whereas the number of such pending mutations could be around 10,000 across the province.

10,000 applications pending at Arazi Record Centres across Punjab

He said the mutations that had been entered into the system prior to the upgrade could not be approved by the system that had started highlighting the re-verification of sellers, buyers and witnesses whereas in case of mutations of inheritance cases, the system is requiring the verification of the deceased persons which was never possible.

An IT officer on condition of anonymity disclosed that upgraded CLRMIS had no clue to issues and problems at ARCs. He explained that in transactions duly verified by seller, purchaser and witness through picture and thumb impressions, the CLRMIS requires re-verification again on attesting/passing that transaction, ultimately creating panic among purchasers since they had paid all the dues to the government and sellers because the ownership could not be transferred to his name.

“We have already sent several emails regarding CLRMIS inability to facilitate people,” he said and added that even the senior member, Board of Revenue, who is the head of this department, was unaware of the problem as the PLRA would often show him a rosy picture of CLRMIS.

While narrating his ordeal, a client said it took 14 days to get prepared inheritance documents, and now I am tired of the procedural complications at the ARC. One has to shuttle between six different windows to get it done and now verification of deceased was also being required by the system.”

Interestingly, in inheritance transactions the CLRMIS requires deceased to be verified at ARC, in order to attest the transaction for which the officials had been getting thumb impressions of irrelevant people to get the job done which otherwise was an illegal act.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2019