The government has initiated plans to connect e-courts with land registration databases and land records, aiming to allow legitimate buyers to verify if the land they intend to purchase is embroiled in any legal disputes. This integration is expected to minimize suspicious transactions, consequently aiding in the reduction of disputes while also streamlining access to the court system. A pilot project to establish this linkage has already been successfully executed in regions such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, with plans to expand it nationwide soon.
Enhancing Business Operations -
The Law Ministry's Department of Justice has instructed registrars at all high courts to collaborate with state governments to facilitate the integration of land registration databases along with land records into the e-courts and the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). This initiative is poised to expedite the resolution of property disputes and improve the overall efficiency of property transactions. To date, eight higher courts have responded positively, including courts from Tripura, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.
In a letter from the Department of Justice dispatched in April this year, officials stated, “We would appreciate it if you could facilitate prompt action on your part by giving the state government the necessary permits to enable nationwide implementation of e-courts related to land records and registration database and other related tasks.”
The simple, transparent registration of property remains one of the metrics analyzed by the World Bank to evaluate the performance of 190 economies in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Index.
Buyers Can Identify Disputed Land -
The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) serves as the main authority responsible for property registration. In recent evaluations, it scored a mere 3.5 points out of a possible 13 in the appraisal of the Land Administration Index.
A committee, formed in collaboration with the Supreme Court’s E-committee, has been assembled to achieve the linkage between electronic courts and registration databases along with land records. This initiative aims to streamline the registration of land titles while fostering a supportive ecosystem. When the legal statuses of lands or plots are accurately registered and accessible, they will act as a transparent reference for potential buyers during the execution of sale and purchase agreements.
The “Electronic Courts” project is currently active in district and lower courts throughout the country, seeking to provide a range of services to plaintiffs, lawyers, and judicial authorities through the comprehensive computerization of these courts.
Additionally, for more insights, refer to the following articles: