President of India to Bestow 'Bhoomi Samman' Award on July 18

The President of India is set to present the prestigious “Bhoomi Samman” awards on Tuesday, 18th July 2023, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The recipients of these awards will include 9 State Secretaries and 68 District Collectors, along with their teams, who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in the implementation of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) – a cornerstone of governance.  

Giriraj Singh, the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, emphasized the significance of this event for Revenue and Registration functionaries, marking the first time in the last 75 years that they will be recognized for their outstanding performance. This year's ceremony will be historic as it formally establishes the "Bhoomi Samman" as a distinguished honour.

Minister Giriraj Singh praised the "Bhoomi Samman" Scheme for exemplifying the spirit of cooperative federalism between the Central and State governments, emphasizing the importance of trust and partnership. The grading system for the awards is largely based on the reports and inputs provided by the States/Union Territories on the core components of computerization and digitization of land records.

Highlighting the benefits of digitization, Singh asserted that the modernization of land records and registration processes would significantly contribute to reducing the backlog of court cases related to land disputes. This, in turn, will prevent GDP losses incurred due to stalled projects ensnared in litigation.

Furthermore, the availability of accurate and accessible land records information will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of various services and government programs related to Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Chemical and Fertilizer, Public Distribution System (PDS), Panchayati Raj, and Financial Institutions.

The seamless sharing of land records information among different stakeholders will ensure uniformity, inter-operability, and compatibility, ultimately benefiting the public and various government agencies.

Minister Giriraj Singh proudly announced that the Department of Land Resources has already achieved an impressive 94% digitization rate across India. With unwavering determination, the department aims to achieve 100% saturation of the core components of digitization in all districts of the country by 31st March 2024.

The "Bhoomi Samman" awards ceremony stands as a testament to the government's commitment to modernizing governance and service delivery through the effective use of technology and data.