Abhay Kumar
Efficient public service delivery is not merely an administrative goal; it is a reflection of how seriously a system values a citizen’s time, dignity, and trust. While several aspects of the current land registration mechanism demonstrate encouraging efficiency, certain procedural bottlenecks continue to undermine an otherwise well-intentioned framework.
The initial steps of the process of land registration in Andaman and Nicobar Islands—photography and biometric capture—are completed with commendable efficiency. Even with a short waiting period of five to fifteen minutes, depending on the number of registrations scheduled for the day, this stage rarely takes more than a minute per individual. At this point, the system appears well-organized and responsive, creating a reasonable expectation that the remaining procedures will follow the same pattern.
However, this expectation quickly fades.
From around morning duty hours onwards, applicants are made to wait for the most critical and time-consuming phase of the registration process: personal identification and verification in the presence of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). This is the stage where purchasers and sellers must physically present themselves to establish that the documents submitted—primarily Aadhaar and PAN—indeed belong to them. While the objective of preventing fraud and ensuring authenticity is unquestionable, the manner in which this verification is carried out often results in a severe administrative bottleneck.
The SDM, already burdened with multiple essential administrative and executive responsibilities, is also entrusted with this largely routine verification duty. As a result, applicants remain seated or standing for hours—often from morning until late evening—without defined time slots, predictable sequence, or assurance of same-day completion. On some days only a few people wait; on others, the number runs into hundreds. On rare occasions, many leave without completion, having lost an entire working day.
The actual act of verification itself takes only a few minutes per person. The prolonged waiting is therefore not due to procedural complexity, but largely due to over-centralization of authority and absence of structured scheduling. Ironically, after verification by the SDM, fingerprints are again captured digitally, reinforcing identity through technology that is already available and reliable.
Adding to this discomfort is the nature of the verification process itself. Purchasers and sellers are often required to present themselves repeatedly, stand in sequence, and await scrutiny in a manner that at times unintentionally resembles an identification parade—more commonly associated with criminal investigations. For law-abiding citizens engaged in a routine civil transaction, this experience can feel intimidating and undignified. Individuals who have voluntarily complied with all legal requirements, submitted genuine documents, paid prescribed fees, and presented themselves transparently should not feel as though they are under suspicion.
Land registration is a civil and legal process, not a criminal proceeding. The intent behind verification may be legitimate, but the form and environment in which it is conducted matter greatly. A routine administrative verification should be neutral, respectful, and privacy-conscious, especially when modern biometric and digital identification systems already exist.
The burden of this system falls squarely on citizens. Senior citizens endure physical strain, daily wage earners lose income, professionals lose productive hours, and families lose time that can never be recovered. Respect for time is not merely an administrative responsibility—it is a citizen’s right.
Once fees and charges are paid well in advance for a government service, a citizen rightfully expects efficient, predictable, and user-friendly service delivery. Payment signifies compliance with rules and procedures. Endless waiting after payment undermines public confidence and defeats the purpose of organized governance. A prepaid service should not translate into an entire day of uncertainty.
User-friendly service does not mean compromising legal safeguards. It means intelligent system design—where routine verifications are delegated, time slots are allotted, technology is fully utilized, and senior officers intervene only in exceptional or disputed cases.
Practical measures such as delegation of verification to trained revenue or gazetted officers, time-slot-based scheduling, Aadhaar-based biometric authentication as the primary mode of identification, fixed verification hours, and transparent token systems could significantly reduce administrative pressure while easing public hardship.
Land registration should provide legal certainty and reassurance, not test a citizen’s patience or dignity. When hundreds of individuals spend an entire day waiting merely to establish their identity—despite carrying verified documents and having paid the requisite fees—the system must pause, review, and recalibrate.
Respecting a citizen’s time and dignity is not an administrative convenience; it is the true measure of good governance.
In recent years, several constructive initiatives have improved the overall functioning of the revenue department, and incorporation of the above measures could further strengthen public confidence and service efficiency for the residents of these islands.
