The process of land acquisition in India has historically been complex, involving multiple government departments, extensive paperwork, and delays in compensation. To address these challenges, the Government of India introduced the Bhoomi Rashi Portal, a centralized online platform designed to bring transparency, efficiency, and accountability to land acquisition procedures, particularly for infrastructure and development projects.
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What Is the Bhoomi Rashi Portal?
The Bhoomi Rashi Portal is an online system launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to manage and monitor land acquisition for national highway projects. It integrates with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to ensure that compensation payments to landowners are processed quickly and directly into their bank accounts.
This portal eliminates the need for physical file transfers between offices, reducing delays and enhancing the transparency of the entire process.
Key Objectives of the Bhoomi Rashi Portal
- Speed up Land Acquisition
The portal digitizes proposals, approvals, and compensation processes, reducing time taken for each stage. - Ensure Transparency
Every stage, from land notification to compensation, is visible to concerned stakeholders, ensuring fair procedures. - Direct Fund Transfer
By linking with PFMS, compensation amounts are directly credited to landowners without intermediaries, minimizing the risk of corruption. - Centralized Data Management
All land acquisition details are stored in a unified database, accessible to relevant departments and authorities.
How the Portal Improves Transparency
Before the Bhoomi Rashi system, landowners often faced delays, unclear timelines, and lack of updates. Now, they can track notifications, compensation amounts, and the acquisition status online. This transparency helps in:
- Reducing disputes over compensation amounts.
- Preventing unauthorized changes to land records.
- Ensuring fair valuation of land based on current market rates.
Benefits for Landowners
- Faster Compensation: Eliminates the long wait associated with traditional paperwork.
- Clarity in Valuation: Details of compensation calculation are documented and accessible.
- Secure Payments: Money is transferred directly to the landowner’s account.
- Access to Updates: Real-time tracking of acquisition stages.
Impact on Infrastructure Development
By streamlining the land acquisition process, the Bhoomi Rashi Portal has significantly accelerated highway and road development projects. Timely land handovers allow contractors to start construction earlier, reducing project delays and cost overruns.
Challenges & Future Scope
While the Bhoomi Rashi Portal has brought major improvements, certain challenges remain:
- Awareness among landowners in rural areas is still limited.
- Technical literacy is a barrier for those unfamiliar with online systems.
- Integration with state-level land records needs further strengthening.
Looking ahead, expanding the portal’s reach, improving multilingual support, and conducting awareness campaigns can ensure that all stakeholders benefit from this transparent system.
Conclusion
The Bhoomi Rashi Portal marks a significant step toward modernizing land acquisition in India. By combining technology with governance, it ensures that development projects progress smoothly while protecting the rights and interests of landowners. For both the government and the public, this system represents a move toward fairness, speed, and accountability in land acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the Bhoomi Rashi Portal?
The Bhoomi Rashi Portal is an online platform launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to streamline and digitize land acquisition processes, ensuring transparency and direct compensation to landowners.
Q. How does the Bhoomi Rashi Portal improve transparency?
It provides real-time updates, digitized records, and direct fund transfers, preventing corruption and ensuring fair land valuation.
Q. Who can use the Bhoomi Rashi Portal?
Primarily used by government departments for national highway projects, but landowners can access their acquisition details and compensation status.
Q. Is the compensation through the Bhoomi Rashi Portal secure?
Yes, payments are made via the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) directly to the landowner’s bank account, ensuring security and eliminating middlemen.
Q. What are the main benefits for landowners?
Faster payments, transparent valuation, secure fund transfer, and easy access to acquisition updates.