Land Governance: Paradigm Shift in Tribal Land Records in Indo-Nepal Border

Abstract

Land ownership is determined by the land title possessed by an individual and protects the rights of the owner. Due to the rampant growth in population and scarcity of land, mutation, unclear land titles, and prices are soaring and have led to benami transactions. Land documentation is not an easy task in India where different methods and departments are involved with a lack of efforts at bringing commonality into the system of land records. Therefore, to bring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in dealing with the cases of land disputes and associated litigation, there is an immediate need for compilation, maintenance, and updation of the land records to instill a sense of security among landowners. Therefore, the central theme of the article revolves around the hindrances and issues in an entire process, flaws in land records, poor updation of data, online mutation, and automatic flow of information. The adequacy of the updated land information can answer to disputes in boundary, unauthorized construction, permission related to land use, fraud registration of the property, and incomplete mutation and could lower the cost of transactions. The other multidimensions which are focused while understanding the land records in a tribal regime are tenure rights, disputes in common areas, customary rights, and acquisition of land by other communities.