Staff Reporter Dhaka : Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said that the mortgage data bank is being launched this month to prevent fraud related to multiple mortgages, purchase and sale or mutation of mortgaged land. There is no scope for deceit and fraud in this regard.

The land minister made the remarks while addressing the Divisional Commissioners coordination meeting on the land and land ministry as the chief guest at the conference room of the land ministry at the secretariat on Sunday. Land Secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman PAA presided over the meeting.

The land minister said that banks, sub-registry offices, land offices, or citizens will get the opportunity through the mortgage data bank to verify the information related to the mortgage of land online so that there is no opportunity to re-mortgage, buy and sell or mutate the mortgaged land. In addition, based on the Money Loan Court’s verdict, the mortgage database can be used to simplify the mutation, which will facilitate the collection of information for the bank’s debt management and reduce the risk. As a result, the country’s economy will have an overall positive impact due to this new system of land.

The Land Minister urged the Divisional Commissioners to motivate the land officials to work with the mindset of citizen service. While mentioning that there are awards in recognition of good work, the minister further said that dishonest officials and employees should be brought under exemplary appropriate justice subject to investigation.

The land secretary informed Divisional Commissioners that in the first quarter of the current financial year, about Taka 168 crores of land development tax has been collected online. At present nearly 2 lakh mutation applications are being disposed of online every month. Based on the application, so far, about 68 thousand Kaitans (Record of Rights) and 60 thousand land maps have been sent to the homes of citizens across the country by the postal department.

The divisional commissioners present in the meeting expressed their opinion on various issues including digitization of land services, inter-district/Upazila boundary disputes, land office reform, eviction of land grabbers, lease of Jalmahal (Water bodies), and Balumhal (Sand quarry).

The Divisional Commissioners present at the meeting were – Md. Khalilur Rahman (Dhaka), Md. Ashraf Uddin (Chittagong), G S M Jafarullah, NDC (Rajshahi), Md Zillur Rahaman Chowdhury (Khulna), Md Amin Ul Ahsan (Barisal), Dr Md Mosharrof Hossain (Sylhet), Md Sabirul Islam (Rangpur), Md Shafiqur Reza Biswas (Mymensingh). Besides, senior officials of the ministry were present at the coordination meeting of the Divisional Commissioners.

Multiple person from one family, spouse of government officials won’t get lease of Chingri Mahal

After that, the Land Minister presided over the meeting of the National Chingrimahal (shrimp pond zone) Management Committee at the conference room of the Ministry of Lands today at noon.

At this time, the Minister of Land directed to take a policy decision and take necessary measures so that multiple members from the same family, government officials and their spouses and members of the Chingri Mahal Management Committee will not get lease of the Chingri Mahal. The Minister of Land issued this directive with the consent of the committee members.

Members of Parliaments Jafar Alam, MP from Cox’s Bazar attended the meeting. Land Secretary Md. Mustafizur Rahman PAA was also present at that time. Various stakeholders including the Ministry of Land, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change officials, field administration officials of Cox’s Bazar and Satkhira districts, and individuals involved in shrimp farming and trade attended the meeting among others.

Proposals for the new leasing of Chingri Mahal and pending leasing approvals of Chingri Mahals were discussed at today’s meeting based on the reports of various districts. It is to be noted that there are about 1596 Chingri Mahals all over the country which are a source of revenue of crores of takas.