A senior IAS officer, Bishnupada Sethi is currently the Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Odisha. He was called for to join the Indian Administrative Service of Odisha Cadre after his MTech in Industrial Engineering from a reputed national institute at Mumbai. His engineering skills and ingenuity has had been providing necessary impetus in handling the departments with perfect adroitness during his administrative career. He began his journey as Sub-Collector, Project Director, DRDA, Collector in the KBK region and then became Secretaries to different departments. Sethi has lent Midas touch of gold in his areas of assignments by bringing about meaningful changes focusing on effectiveness, sound financial discipline and leadership. He was chosen for receiving the International Star Award for Leadership in Quality (ISLQ) in Paris in 2015. The Institute of Economic Studies has conferred upon him the Udyog Ratan Award. He has bagged the President’s Silver for successfully conducting the 2011 Census in Odisha. Under his leadership as Director, OSDMA, Odisha had climbed to soaring heights in handling multiple disasters. Sethi remains at the vanguard of the Revenue Department to inflict crushing blows to land grabbers in urban pockets and is committed to weed out corruption by implementing the 5T programme. He hits the bull’s eye with effortless ease. In an interview to The Pioneer, Sethi spoke to Sugyan Choudhury on many issues concerning the Revenue Department.
How far have the people been genuinely benefited by the implementation of 5T in the Revenue Department?
As per direction of Hon’ble Chief Minister to trust the goodness of people rather than integrity of our processes, Resident and Income Certificates are issued basing on self-declaration of applicants and documents without RI enquiry. This has earned the goodwill of people and eased the process of governance in the matter. Integration of e-District Portal with DigiLocker for sharing the digital copy of certificates has been facilitated. Similarly, e-Registration application has been integrated with DigiLocker so that registrant public can pull their documents registered after 4th January, 2010 and store in their DigiLocker for perpetuity. Over 6.25 lakh e-Certificates have been issued online since its launching on 28th December, 2019. The process assures citizens with more choices at hand and ensures saving of time, money and dispenses physical journey to revenue offices. Citizens can pay land revenue online anytime anywhere through e-Pauti portal (odishalandrevenue.nic.in) and Mobile App (PAUTI). All types of fees have been abolished for issuance of Resident, Income, Income & Asset, Legal Heir, Guardianship, ST, SC, SEBC and OBC certificates. Consent-Based Aadhaar Authentication during property registration has been introduced. For this, the e-Registration application has been integrated with the Aadhaar database of UIDAI. All Tehsil and Registration offices have been brought under the ‘Mo Sarkar’ from 26th February, 2020. After registration, suo-motu mutation is initiated and corrected RoRs are sent through speed post. Digitally-signed copy of RoR is issued through e-District Portal. Digitally-signed certified copies of Encumbrance Certificate (EC) and Certified Copies (CC) of registered documents are issued online though IGR Portal (https://www.igrodisha.gov.in/). The fixed minimum limit of Rs 1,000 for e-Stamp Certificate has been abolished. Now, e-Stamp Certificate can be issued for any amount.
How far has the implementation of 5Ts simplified the cumbersome rules for SC & ST communities?
Application fee and other fees have been abolished for issuance of caste certificates in favour of SC & ST community people. Applications can be filed online anytime anywhere (https://edistrict.odisha.gov.in) to obtain caste certificates.
Huge encroachments, including encroachment by fraud documents in the village of Sipasaruvali at Puri and other urban pockets of the State, are reportedly still going unchecked. How are they being curbed?
Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment Act 1972 and Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment Rules 1985 have detailed provisions and procedure to prevent encroachment of Government lands and take coercive steps against the encroachers. Tehsildars have been authorised to take steps against encroachment and safeguard the Government lands. In this regard, the department has recently issued guidelines to all RDCs/ Collectors requesting them to take urgent steps for eviction of encroachments. Funds are provided to the Collectors for protection of Government lands since 2009-10.
How far has Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme been implemented in our State?
Odisha is pioneer in implementing Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme, which has been well-documented from the fact that Odisha was adjudged second in position in National Land Records Services Index 2020 (N-LRSI) survey conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research. Under DILRMP, Odisha has computerised all Registration Offices (SRO). Registered documents are delivered to citizens on the same day. Encumbrance Certificates and Certified Copies of registered documents are issued online. Digitisation of land records of the tenants showing the ownership of land has been done, which is available in the Bhulekh website (http:// bhulekh.ori.nic.in). Cadastral maps have been digitised and hosted in the Bhunaksha website (http://bhunakshaodisha.nic.in/). All revenue offices have been provided with high-speed internet connectivity for updating of land records through e-Mutation software, namely Land Records Management System (LRMS). LRMS is the single source, where every land record gets updated. Modern Record Rooms are operational in 279 tehsils out of 317 tehsils.
Rampant corruptions at the lower echelons in tehsils are reported often. Are there any plans against this?
Introduction of various e-Governance initiatives such as e-Registration, e-Stamping, e-Mutation, Bhulekh, Bhunaksha, Revenue Court Case Monitoring System (RCCMS), Document Management System (DMS), online payment of land revenue (e-Pauti) for delivery of public services and to minimise physical interface between people and Government offices have been initiated along with measures such as: Introduction of the 5Ts in delivery of public services; encouraging cashless in registration offices; over 99% of stamp duty and approximately 99% of registration fee are collected through cashless mode in registration offices; bringing tehsil and registration offices under the ambit of Mo Sarkar; punishing corrupt officials and appreciating sincere efforts of honest and efficient officers; prompt action on media reports and petitions alleging corruption at various levels which are referred to senior-level field officers for enquiry; taking appropriate action on the matter and submission of action-taken report to the department.
What are the measures undertaken for prompt disposal of RTI applications?
A separate RTI Cell is functioning in the department. A Nodal PIO, a First Appellate Authority and branch-wise PIOs have been designated for supply of prompt reply to applicants under the RTI Act.
