Sindh govt to convert tapedar college into revenue training academy

BoR officials will be trained to use applications for e-registration, e-stamping, other online services at the academy

KARACHI: In light of a surge in complaints of corruption in the revenue department, the Sindh government has decided to convert the Tapedar Training College (TTC) near Rani Bagh in Hyderabad into a revenue training academy (RTA), so as to ensure proper training of revenue officials for e-stamping and e-registration.

Instructions for digitising the processes of registration and transfer of property via e-registration and e-stamping, so as to expedite them and curb corruption, were given by the Sindh chief minister last month.

Taking the CM's directives into consideration, the decision to shift from a TTC to RTA was taken during a meeting chaired by Sindh Revenue Minister Makhdoom Mehboob on Tuesday, in order to make the officials adept at the use of digital systems.

At the meeting, Mehboob directed a senior member of the Board of Revenue (SMBR) to make training at the RTA mandatory for all officials at the Sindh Board of Revenue (BoR), as the board would soon be made paperless. Following the digitisation of the process, all certificates, registrations, NOCs, transfers and mutations would be made through an e-system, he said.

The minister also directed the SMBR to finalise a plan for converting the TTC to RTA and then rapidly implement it. He also pointed out that the preparation of in-house software was moving at a fast pace and ordered the SMBR to expedite the process so that the officials could be trained to use the applications.

Later, an official presented a demo of the software being developed for e-registration and e-stamping of property and issuance of online sales certificates. Giving feedback, the minister said that the facility of online issuance of sales certificates was only to be provided to people living abroad, adding that they too would only be able to apply for the certificates after verification at the relevant Pakistani embassy. The minister was also briefed about BoR's website and its registration process.

He, however, expressed dismay over the delay in the launch of the application and ordered the relevant officials to launch it within eight days. Moreover, he directed the IT official to develop an application to issue NOCs for sales, with an option of certificate delivery to the applicant. He also instructed the SMBR to issue directives for all mukhtiarkars to ensure timely delivery of the NOCs, adding that the SMBR was also be given access to view the dashboard showing the issuance of NOCs so that he may monitor the processes.

Drawing the meeting to an end, the participants decided to name the new application 'e-Pay'.

Settlement and survey

Earlier in the meeting, the minister observed that several inquiries were pending in the Survey Settlement Department. "Neither have they been completed nor has any action been taken against delinquent officers," he said, directing the SMBR to submit a complete list of pending inquiries and take disciplinary action against delinquent officers.

He further said that he had been receiving reports that funds appropriated for surveys in the city were being misused, instructing the SMBR to order an inquiry into the misuse of funds between January 2011 and December 2019.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2020.