In order to manage scientifically and in transparent manner, the data in respect of revenue records and to keep at bay, chances of fiddling with the actual records to attempt to perpetrate frauds, it was decided to have bar-coded revenue registers. The decision to this effect having been taken nearly more than ten months back, there appears to be no development worth the name in implementation in this respect on the ground. We may make no bones about the levels of dismay and dissatisfaction the people in general otherwise have in respect of the services provided by the Revenue Department in whatever form and that should have been the motivating factor for the authorities concerned to have the requisite reform introduced at the earliest as most of the states have already introduced bar-coded revenue registers. They have advantages in various forms over the one in practice for decades together. There is least possibility of any human error, being inexpensive in designing , training time of employees is considerably reduced, are flexible and adaptable, data is reliable and assessed fast and above all these advantageous points are useful in preventing frauds and manipulations for obvious reasons.
The decision follows constituting of a high powered committee to look into the ways and measures that could be adopted to bring about more transparency in the delivery mechanism in vogue in respect of providing of public services to the citizens which are hassles free and coupled with overall improvement in the levels of efficiency in the functioning of the said department . This was done last year in August and the Committee gave its findings and suggested among other measures, introduction of the bar-coded revenue registers citing various advantages and centring round absolute transparency and doing away with a sort of established ‘speciality’ and absolute dominance of the revenue personnel in handling in a particular way the revenue records and issuing copies thereof or in matters of mutation and other services. In other words, the demand of the sub titles of the revenue extracts and other required records should not be in mystified and non -understandable form and use of English language should be made to enable the common people to know what was there in a particular revenue extract.The fact of the matter is that most of the recommendations, in particular the main one of bar-coding as done in most of the states, were accepted. Not only that, theGovernment kept at disposal of the Revenue Department the Government owned Ranbir Press where a machine specifically for the purpose too was installed.
We do not deny that some progress has been made in respect of digitization of revenue records under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme which would put the Revenue Department on proper rails to be in tune with the expectations of the people , on modern concepts and practices of maintaining vital records and eliminating of any apprehensions about their genuineness and making access to them easy, fast and hassles free but the pace of that work needed to be accelerated. However in order to standardise the extracts of revenue records, it was imperative to have various registers in the department like pertaining to mutation, Jamabandi, Khasra Girdawari etc printed through the Government Press and have them properly bar-coded.
As on date, it is learnt that the employees who had to man the said machine installed in March this year are yet to obtain the requisite know how about the operation of and working on the machine . The training part was going to be taken care of ”shortly” after an arrangement with the suppliers. Expecting that to happen sooner and bar-coding getting completed likewise, a new era of openness, transparency and providing services comparatively faster would take place in Revenue Department in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
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