ICT land record computerisation: Project awaits CDWP approval, says Nisar

Interior minister says new PC-1 has been sent to the party

ISLAMABAD: A project to computerise Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) land records awaits the approval of its project concept (PC-1) by Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

This was in a written reply provided in the National Assembly on Friday by Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in response to a question raised by Member National Assembly (MNA) Amra Khan about steps taken by government to computerise ICT land records.

Nisar said that computerisation of land records was initiated by the Ministry of Information Technology, and records for 112 revenue estates have been scanned, while data entry of 48 revenue estates has been completed and online connectivity has been arranged at 30 of them.

He further said that on the directives of the prime minister, the project was transferred to the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) in November 2015.

A revised PC-1 of Rs151.313 million was submitted to the Planning, Development and Reforms Division for approval, the minister added while explaining that after approval of the revised PC-1 from the CDWP, work on computerisation would be completed within two years.

In 2009, the district administration and Ministry of Information Technology (IT) had started work on computerisation of land records in Islamabad and the project was supposed to be completed in four years. Despite several deadline extensions, the project remains incomplete.

In January 2015, the prime minister disassociated the IT ministry from the project and directed the capital administration to complete remaining work. Since then, no practical progress has been made.

The estimated cost in the original PC-1 was Rs86.6 million. The cost of the new PC-1 represents a 75 per cent increase.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2016.