TAXILA: Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) Chairman Shahid Hussain Janjua inaugurated a state-of-the-art land record centre on Friday at the Fatehjang town of Attock to digitise land and property transactions with e-registry of lands and properties.

The PLRA chairman, while speaking at the inauguration of the centre, said that the facility has been established with the aim of providing citizens with comprehensive facilities under one roof to enhance transparency in property and land registry.

Mr Janjua noted that the Punjab government was committed to facilitating the masses and had created ease in people’s lives by providing prompt and easy access to land records.

“The Punjab government is also extending the land transfer system across the province after registry through an automated process,” he said.

He further revealed that overseas land record centres had also been established in Pakistan for expatriate Pakistanis, and a total of 225,000 e-registries have been completed to date.

“The system, aimed at eliminating manual processes, is a groundbreaking step towards modernising the province’s land and property transactions,” Mr Janjua said.

He emphasised the computerised nature of the entire process, with only the finalisation of the sub-registrar’s signature requiring manual intervention.

“With the introduction of the e-registration system, concerns about fraud and corruption in property transactions will be addressed,” the PLRA chairman said.

He added that the system has integrated with e-stamps, land record management, and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Deputy Commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza said that this integration aims to eliminate possibilities of tax evasion and loss of property documents and enhance efficiency in the real estate business.

He added that the centre was a revolutionary initiative, and its establishment will provide individuals with copies and other facilities for the people of far-flung areas.

Mr Raza said modern technology was being introduced in the land record centres to keep the system smooth and transparent, as the Punjab government nearly completed its plan to digitise land records to replace the British-era ‘patwari’ system.

Later, Chairman Punjab PLRA also chaired a meeting to review institutional reforms and the performance of the PLRA in Attock district.

Assistant Commissioner Ms Anza Abbasi, officials of the revenue department, local administration, and PLRA were also present on this occasion.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2024