BSS, Rajshahi :
Increasing the number of trained land surveyors has become indispensable for substantial and sustainable reduction of the existing land- related corruption and litigation, speakers at a discussion said here Sunday.
They also viewed that introduction of nationwide digital land survey would also remove the people’s sufferings relating to land disputes caused by the conventional land records.
They made these observations while addressing the opening session of a month long women training on land survey at BRAC Learning Centre in Rajshahi today.
Brac under its project styled “Enabling Poor Women to Access Property Rights in Bangladesh” organized the training aiming to facilitate the poor and marginalized communities towards attaining land rights.
In his project-briefing speech, Sadrul Hassan Mazumder, Programme Coordinator (Property Rights Initiative) of Brac’s Human Rights and Legal Aid Services, said the project is being implemented to strengthen access to land and property rights for all citizens especially the poor people.
The project mainly intends to generate skilled human resources on land survey for promotion of effective, transparent and accountable land governance practices.
Additional District Magistrate Fazley Rabbi and Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sajjadul Hassan addressed as chief and special guests respectively with Brac District Representative AKM Jahedul Islam in the chair.
Among others, Senior Manager Sadhan Kumar Nandi and Land Survey Trainer Isahaque Ali also spoke, among others, on the occasion.
The chief guest said with effective use of ICT in the Land Management System, user-friendliness, transparency and accountability could be ensured in this important sector.
The goal of “Digital Bangladesh” could be achieved through digitisation of land records as modernized land management practice is documented for wider replication in developing efficient land market and sustainable land use, he added.
Emphasis should be given on creating awareness among people for having access to the lands.
“We have to develop a process of identifying landless people for fair distribution of khash land among them properly,” Fazley Rabbi said, adding that the project must be implemented properly and accurately so that the targeted people can derive the total benefits out of it.
A total of 25 women from Rajshahi, Naogaon and Natore districts are taking part in the training course.
