Fostering Economic Development

Through E-government: A Case Study of

Bhoomi Project in Karnataka.

Anand Shukla (06808004)

 Objectives of the presentation

 To evaluate the case: Bhoomi project

implemented in Karnataka.
 develop a conceptual framework for
evaluation.
 extract key learning out of this digitisation
of land record initiative.

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 The logical framework
Effect

Cost reduction
Improving service
delivery/accessibility
Enhancing
accountability/transparency

Improving public administration

Impact

Promoting economic development

Source: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEGOVERNMENT/Resources/e-Gov_guideline.pdf 3
 The context
 For 66% of population the main occupation is
agriculture.
 6.7 million farmers own 20 million land
holdings.
 Use of an official document called the Record
of Rights, Tenancy and Cultivation (RTC).
 Farmers need a land record at least three times a
year to get loans for crops.
 The state government uses it for planning and
formulating development programmes.
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 The problem
 Opaque system
 Prone to manipulations
 Harassment and extortion
 Cumbersome mutation process
 Delays in delivery of land records
 Delay in disposal of civil litigations
 Lack of timely data for planning purpose

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 E-government Application
Name of the project Bhoomi (Land)

Sponsoring/partnering Government of Karnataka and Ministry of

Agency Rural Development, GoI.
Project implementing agency Revenue and E-Governance Departments
of Govt. of Karnataka.
Project duration 1999-2002

Number of kiosks set up 177 (In all the sub-districts of the state)

Software support (gratis) National Informatics Centre, Bangalore.

Total cost Rs. 250 million

Exp. on data entry operations Rs. 80 million

for 20 million RTC
Source: http://www.revdept-01.kar.nic.in 6
 Features
 Farmers pay a charge of Rs. 15 for
every service they avail.
 All services are availed from kiosks
only.
 Land record centre in each taluk.
 Online updation to ensure that the
RTCs provided to the farmers is in
sync with the time.
 Fully online system to carry out
mutations on land records data.
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 Features
 Finger print biometrics
authentication to ensure fool
proof authentication system
and to enforce the concept of
non-repudiation.
 Facility to scan the field
mutation order passed by
revenue authorities and the
notice served on the public.
 Provision for interfacing of
Touch Screen Kiosk at taluka
office
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 Outcome Analysis
Cost per kiosk (after data entry of RTC’s) Rs. 10 lacks
Per kiosk exp. on computer hardware, construction Rs. 6.4 lacks
of computer rooms and kiosks
Cost of processing a RTC including stationary, Rs. 13
cartridges and electricity (assuming a life of 5 years
for hardware and a total of 2 million RTC issued)
User fee per RTC Rs. 15
No. of users since inception 12 million
Total collection 180 million
No. of person days/wages saved per annum 1.32 million/Rs 66
million
Weighted average of bribe paid in Manual system Rs. 152.46 Vs. Rs.
Vs.Bhoomi 3.09
Source: http://www.apdip.net/resources/case/in03 9
 Outcome analysis
Ease in Use of Kiosks Complexity of Procedures in Bhoomi
(No. of officials a person had to meetin obtaining RTC)

10.10%
9.60%
Very Simple 21%

Simple Only the counter staff

Difficult
One or more officials
80.30%
79%

 Also 85% of Bhoomi users rated staff behaviour at the Bhoomi

kiosks as ‘good’ in comparison to none of the users in case of
Manual system.

Source: E-Government: From Vision to Implementation by Subhash Bhatnagar. 10

 Analysis contd…
Complexity of procedures in Manual System Error-free Documents
(No. of officials a person had to meet in obtainig RTC)
76% 74%
74%
72%
70%
20% 68%
The village accountants 66%
64% 63%
At least one official
19% Two to four officials 62%
61%
60%
58%
56%
Bhoomi Manual System

 42.4 per cent of those using the new system spent 10 minutes or
less doing so, and a further 33.9 per cent spent between 11 and
30 minutes, in comparison to weeks taken in case of old system.
 The mutation process cycle time has decreased from 90-180 days
to 30-45 days. 11
 Analysis cont…
RTC Recieved on First Visit Payment of Bribe

80% 70% 66%

72%
70% 60%
60% 50%
50%
40%
40%
30%
30%
20%
20%
10% 5% 10% 3%
0% 0%
Bhoomi Manual System Bhoomi Manual System

 Rs. 806 billion is the expected savings per annum because of

reduction in bribe.
 Adjudication of disputes has been made faster because of efficient
access to land records.
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 Analysis contd….
Confidence to Complain in Cases of Error Response After the Complaint

100% 93% 70%

90% 58%
60%
80%
70% 50%
60% 49% 40%
50%
40% 30%
30% 20%
20%
10% 4%
10%
0% 0%
Bhoomi Manual Syatem Bhoomi Manual System

 Now nearly 2500 branches of different banks in Karnataka, loan

approximately Rs. 40 billion to Bhoomi farmers as working capital
every year.
 The system generates various types of reports on land ownership
by size, type of crop/soil, gender etc… which is useful in planning
poverty alleviation programmes and supplying agriculture inputs.
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 Key learnings
Project specific The evaluation
objectives framework
1) Provide farmers cheap and easy Cost reduction
access to their land records.
Improving Service
2) Easy maintenance and prompt
upgradation of land records. Delivery/Accessibility

3) Make records tamper proof. Enhancing

4) Create databases of land revenue, Accountability/Transparency
cropping pattern, land use, etc…
5) Utilize the data for formulating Improving public
development programmes. administration
6) Enable usage of this database by
courts, banks, and private Promoting economic
organizations. development
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 Learnings contd…
 Objectives should be SMART.
 Identify the stakeholders and their felt need after a participatory
consultation. Helps one identify the point where the vicious circle can be
broken.
 Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound.
 Aim at incremental change and not radical. Should be planned properly.
 Harness political support for your effort.
 Financial self sufficiency is a must for the project to continue in the
long-run.
 Let economics and not politics decide the aspect of scaling-up.
 Emphasis on training of personnel and human resource management.
 Back-end computerisation of the process is as important as the front-
end.
 Inbuilt feedback mechanism from stakeholders, so that the
interventions adapts with changing situations..

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 Refrences
 Bhatnagar, Subhash, 2004 E-Government: From Vision to
Implementation, Sage Publication.
 http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEGOVERNMENT/Resource
s/e-Gov_guideline.pdf
 http://www.revdept-01.kar.nic.in
 http://www.apdip.net/resources/case/in03

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