The West Bengal cabinet has decided to introduce an online system to ease the process of property mutation and check illegal practices, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. The move will benefit people who complain of harassment by block land reform officers (BLRO), she said. “People often face difficulties when they approach the BLRO. Some say they were asked to pay bribe. We have initiated actions against such people, but it takes time. “The cabinet has now taken a revolutionary decision to introduce an online system for granting mutation,” Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. Sources said several people have lamented about the problems faced by them in the registration process, at the recent district administrative meetings.
In all legal transactions, mutation (transfer of title) is a mandatory process, in which the buyer transfers the ownership title of the property he just bought. Once the property is mutated, the details are updated in the revenue records of civic bodies. The Block Land & Land Reform Office facilitates the mutation process. “Around 12 lakh people get their properties mutated every year. This (online system) is a big scope for common people to get their work done at ease. For the farmers, we have already made title transfer mutation-free and tax-free,” she said.
The cabinet has also given its nod for regularizing land ownership in Midnapore’s Khas Mahal, where over one lakh people have been living without valid documents for more than 70 years. Khas Mahal is government land, which is leased out to individuals for residential purposes for a fixed period of time. “We have decided to regularise lands to the families who have been staying in Khas Mahal in Midnapore. These people have nowhere to go,” she said. Apart from that, the CM said, refugee colonies in Alipurduar will be legalized too.
“We have already handover legal documents to 462 families and the rest would receive the papers shortly. We are trying to regularise the refugee colonies that come under state jurisdiction,” she said. The CM clarified that the government will also seek regularization of settlements that come under the authority of Indian Railways. Talking about the state’s business prospects, the CM said many organisations have evinced interest in investing in the leather industry.
“There are around 1,000 people who have showed interest in investing in the leather industry. We need 350-acre of land and steady supply of water. If we find land for the projects then it will also generate employment for three lakh people,” she stated. Banerjee also said that a proposal to set up a logistics hub by e-commerce major Flipkart was approved by the cabinet. “The council of ministers have given their consent to a proposal by Flipkart to set up a logistic hub at Haringhata at an estimated investment of Rs 991 crore. The land for the project will be allotted from the industrial park in Nadia district,” she added.
