Govt to establish e-network for land holding department

The project, in collaboration with the World Bank, would facilitate verification of land records

KARACHI: Sindh government has decided to establish an E-networking system among all the landholding departments and agencies so that verification of land records could be made easy.

This decision was taken in a follow-up meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the World Bank delegation led by its vice president for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) Ms Ceyla Pazarbasioglu at the CM House on Saturday.

Pazarbasioglu and her team suggested making the process of obtaining the no objection certificate (NOC) more convenient for investors launching their businesses.

They said that investors should not have to go from one department to another to obtain NOC's.

Land grabbing and encroachments

Instead, investors should be able to directly apply to the investment department when launching a business and the department should get clearance from all relevant departments and agencies to issue the NOC.

Acknowledging the suggestion, the CM directed the investment department to develop an E-networking system among all landholding agencies so that the investment department could write to them independently for NOCs.

He further issued directives to the chief secretary to make reforms at the sub-registrar level so that registration, transfer and mutation issues of properties can be digitalised and resolved within a day.

The World Bank delegation assured the government that it would provide technical assistance for developing the E-networking system.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2019.