Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State(I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs has launched e-Dharti app which is a new online system where all the three main modules i.e. Conversion, Substitution and Mutation have been made online. The payment system in L&DO has also been completely digitized. Work is also going on other three small modules namely Sale Permission, Mortgage Permission and Gift Permission and will be completed soon. The public can now submit their applications online by visiting L&DO website and are not required to visit this office for submission of them and for follow up of their applications. Land & Development Office (L&DO) deals with public applications which are mainly related to Conversion of property from leasehold to freehold, Substitution of names of legal heirs and Mutation in the name of purchaser, etc. These three applications cover almost 95% of total applications received. The office also deals with applications related to Sale Permission, Mortgage Permission and Gift Permission. Lots of initiatives have been taken by this office to make the system more transparent, accountable, efficient and effective so that general public, particularly old aged, poor, ailing and deprived persons as well as women and widows, are benefitted.
e-Dharti Geo Portal, another important application on which L&DO has started working, is GIS based mapping of all its approx. 65000 properties. Through this application each and every Government property under L&DO, whether it is allotted or still lying vacant, is proposed to be mapped on a portal called “e-Dharti Geo Portal”. Through this portal the Lessee of the property will be able to see the basic details of his/her property along with map showing its location. The Lessee can also be issued a Property Card from this office about his property if he asks for it.Though more than 35,000 properties have been outlined on the GIS based map all across Delhi, the actual validation is being done by checking each and every mapped property with its location and details. The whole exercise of validating all the L&DO properties and linking it with its details may take a time period of about one year. As on date, more than 2,500 properties have been mapped and verified. This application will not only benefit public but the Government also in getting to know the actual status of its vacant properties, whether there is any encroachment on the said property, etc. The action already taken and the proposed ones will go a long way in streamlining the working of the office making it more public friendly, accountable, efficient and transparent.