RAIPUR: Going the digital way when Chhattisgarh aims for full-fledged e-office governance, Dantewada district successfully digitized over seven lakh land records and secured them using blockchain technology, ensuring quick and efficient retrieval of land documents. This initiative comes as part of the district’s broader push for full-scale e-office governance, aiming to improve transparency and access for the public.
Blockchain technology, known for its security and resistance to tampering, is increasingly being adopted across various sectors, including land record management.
The importance of land records cannot be overstated. They are essential for individuals seeking loans, establishing property rights, and resolving disputes. Recognizing this, the Dantewada district administration introduced blockchain technology to address long-standing challenges related to manual land record management.
Addressing discrepancies in land records
Dantewada Collector Mayank Chaturvedi and Dantewada Zila Panchayat CEO Jayant Nahata identified that relying on paper-based records had resulted in significant delays when retrieving or verifying land transactions. Manual processing was often slow, sometimes taking weeks, and discrepancies in records further complicated the process. This led the district administration to seek a blockchain-based solution that would enable secure and efficient data management.
To modernize land governance, the first phase of the digitization project was completed in 2024, with seven lakh land records converted into a digital format. The second phase saw the district administration collaborate with a Bengaluru-based company to migrate these records to the Avalanche blockchain, which is designed to provide high-speed transactions and increased scalability.
Building citizen’s trust & improved efficiency
Collector Mayank Chaturvedi stated, “For decades, our citizens faced significant delays in accessing their land records. Now, revenue officers can retrieve and authenticate land records in minutes, enabling land-related services to be completed within a day. This marks a major step forward in improving efficiency, and citizen trust.”
The system also empowers residents with easy access to their land records. Each tehsil in Dantewada is equipped with dedicated kiosks, allowing the public to digitally access land records with just a few clicks. This initiative is not only more convenient but also fosters transparency and helps streamline services for citizens.
Zila Panchayat CEO Nahata emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, “This is a groundbreaking move, as it ensures end-to-end digitization and blockchain verifiability of all land records dating back to the 1950s. It guarantees the security of these documents, reduces legal costs, and, most importantly, provides easy access to the common citizens of Dantewada.”
How blockchain prevents hacking and ensures data integrity
Blockchain technology’s inherent security is what sets it apart from traditional data management systems. With information distributed across multiple nodes (computers), each node maintains an identical copy of the data. This decentralized structure prevents hacking because it would require an attacker to alter the information on every single node simultaneously, which is practically impossible. Even if one node is compromised, the data remains protected across other nodes, ensuring the integrity of the records.
Phases of digitization project
1st – completed in 2024, with 7 lakh land records converted into a digital format
2nd – District administration collaborated with a Bengaluru-based company to migrate these records to the Avalanche blockchain, which is designed to provide high-speed transactions and increased scalability
How this works
Each tehsil in Dantewada is equipped with dedicated kiosks, allowing the public to digitally access land records with just a few clicks
Benefits of Initiative
Fosters transparency
Helps streamline services for citizens
Guarantees the security of these documents
Reduces legal costs
Provides easy access to the common citizens
