E-records

E-Records means and includes, a record by any other name i.e., record, document, archive, email management, records management etc. All records are documents, but not all documents are records.The importance of managing land records in an agriculture-based country like India cannot be overstated. Not only such a management facilitates detailed land records, it also has other direct and indirect gains like facilitating in decision-making processes in today's fast moving pace of corporatization of economic activities. In the absence of this, one faces high land-related litigation cases and issues of land ownerships along with other challenges. Such land management practices are still being explored in India and of late computerization of land records has emerged as a vital area wherein ICT can be deployed to enhance governance in administrative processes.

Several such projects like the Bhoomi project in Karnataka are already being implemented in select cases. Dharitree is one such computerized land records management project being implemented in Sonitpur district of Assam. The project has gone beyond the pilot phase and is replicated gradually in the entire state. While Dharitree has facilitated governance pertaining to land related services, the pace of public participation is what further needs to be expedited.

Main Objectives of Dharitree are i. To provide a Web-based land records computerization system for automation of land-based services, ii. Online mutation processes, iii. Up-to-date correction and maintenance of land records, iv. Online access to up-to-date land records for citizens, v. Quality and prompt delivery of citizen-centric services, vi. Maintaining land records data in the Chitha, and Jamabandi registers correctly, timely, and up-to-date, vii. Providing the land and revenue administration all the necessary MIS reports for faster monitoring, planning and decision making, viii. Making the land mutation processes faster, correct, automatic, and up-to-date through online mutations, ix. Supporting agriculture census by providing up-to-date crop/horticulture cultivation information, x. By simply clicking a few buttons of the Dharitree System from their desktop, administrators are able to take quick decisions for planning and implementation all along the hierarchy.

Several projects in different states are working in the field of e-records, but the main target is yet to be achieved.