Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda said a weeklong ‘Land Service Week 2024’ will be observed across the country from June 8 to June 14, 2024 to make people aware of smart land services and encourage them to avail online services. This year’s theme is ‘Smart Land Service, Smart Citizen’. Conscious citizens are just smart citizens – the land minister added at the time.
Land Minister said this at a press conference held at the conference room of Bhumi Bhaban in Tejgaon in the capital today. Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman, Chairman of Land Appeal Board AKM Shamimul Haque Siddique, Chairman of Land Reform Board Md Abdus Sabur Mondal and Director General of Land Record and Survey Department Anis Mahmud were present on the occasion.
The land minister told reporters that during the ‘Land Service Week 2024’, among the various services that will be provided to the service recipients include informing and assisting the service recipients about the application for e-mutation, providing compensation checks for settled LA cases, receiving the application for receiving certified copies of the Records of Rights online and providing it immediately, providing the online Mouzamap through the postal department, public hearing on the ongoing field level survey operations, providing other related services to the people including filing and disposal of objections/appeals and handing over records.
The land minister said service booths will be set up at district and upazila level land offices to provide direct answers to various queries related to the services of the service recipients and an officer will be appointed there. For the first time, eight specially prepared vehicles in eight divisions will provide mobile smart land services, the land minister said. Besides, the minister said, an easy-to-understand book on land service ‘Bhumi Amar Thikana’ will be distributed.
The Land Minister informed journalists that the Land Ministry is working to establish interconnection of 2nd generation mutation, khatian and land development tax through the Land Service Gateway (LSG), ensure 100% harassment-free service and implement a zero tolerance policy against corruption, ensure maximum revenue growth with fully cashless land offices, and ensure expected hassle-free and citizen-friendly land services. The Land Minister commented that building a Smart Bangladesh is possible by making land services easily accessible and pro-people.
The Land Minister hoped that if the above initiatives are implemented, Bangladesh will get trained and motivated citizen-friendly land officials and better informed and trained citizens about land services. This will fulfill the objective of creating smart government and smart citizens, he added.
At the outset of his speech, the minister informed reporters that all the divisional commissioners of the country will hold press conferences in their respective divisions today (June 6) or tomorrow (June 7). The divisional commissioners will elaborate on smart land services, availability of citizens, future work plans and special programs in the districts under their divisions. Public awareness meetings will be organized with government and non-government organizations, students and citizens throughout the week.
The Minister informed that among other programs on the occasion of celebrating Land Service Week-2024, there are arrangements to organize land-related quizzes and speech competitions among students at the upazila and union level schools and colleges. On the other hand, certificates will be awarded to the officers and employees of the upazila and union land offices based on their work efficiency.
Responding to a question from the journalists present, the land minister said that zero tolerance has been declared against corruption in land management under the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As part of this, the online service dashboard is being monitored regularly as well as sudden visits to the land office at the field level are being increased. If there is any irregularity, regular action is being taken subject to investigation and will be taken.
The land secretary said a citizen service center has been set up at Bhumi Bhaban in Dhaka for the convenience of the land service recipients from where citizens can avail all types of land services. The secretary also said that similar services will be expanded nationwide by appointing agents and land service facilitators across the country.
/National level seminar on Mouza and Plot based National Digital Land Zoning Project held/
After the press briefing, Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda was present as the chief guest at the ‘National Level Seminar on Mouza and Plot Based National Digital Land Zoning Project’ at the Central Seminar Hall of Bhumi Bhaban.
Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman, Chairman of Land Appeal Board AKM Shamimul Haque Siddique, Chairman of Land Reform Board Md Abdus Sabur Mondal and Director General of Land Record and Survey Department Anis Mahmud were present on the occasion. Among others, Team Leader of National Digital Land Zoning Project Muhammad Delwar Bakht, Project Director Md. Kafil Uddin, officials of the Ministry of Land, consultants of the concerned projects and experts on land zoning were present.
Speakers at the seminar opined that mouza and plot-based national digital land zoning will play an important role in protecting agricultural land, food security, protecting the environment and combating the impact of climate change.