For the first time Telangana to adopt reformative ‘blockchain’ technology for securing land deal records

Hyderabad, October 20: With an aim to make the state government’s data more secure, Telangana government soon to implement blockchain technology to enhance the security of its digitised revenue/land records. For the first time, Telangana will adopt the digital mode to tamper proof the data regarding land records.

The move is aimed at ensuring that the state government’s data is tamper-proof and secure, especially since agricultural land records in over 10,000 revenue villages are being updated before the implementation of an input subsidy scheme from next year.

The usage of blockchain technology is part of the Telangana government’s initiative to not just update land records, but to also have dynamic upgradation of data as and when there are changes or transactions, said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary (information and technology, electronics and communication), Telangana government.

“In the past, databases have been tampered with. For example, someone might (fraudulently) register 10 acres instead of two. So to prevent such misuses, because financial transactions take place with them, we are providing an additional sense of security,” said Ranjan. He added that the National Institute of Smart Governance has been engaged for the Request for Proposal (RFP) selection.

Further, Ranjan said the IT department will prepare a database which will utilise geographic information systems (GIS) to map the properties of land owners in its records. Ranjan said that work to create a dynamic database and add blockchain security to it will be taken up around the end of December when the government completes the land survey.

Manish Kumar, co-founder of Regko, a Mumbai-based company that provides blockchain-based digital asset registry solutions, said that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments are “front-runners” in using the new technology. “Implementing blockchain technology is a reform. Another government that has reformed on property deals is Rajasthan,” he added.