The Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Department has released new guidelines for maintaining and organizing land-related records across all districts. The circular, issued to all district collectors and revenue officers, aims to ensure better transparency, accessibility, and accuracy in land record management.
This move follows observations by the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission regarding the lack of proper record maintenance and frequent delays in providing land-related information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. To address these concerns, the government has laid out a detailed framework for maintaining, classifying, and preserving critical documents linked to land reforms.
According to the new order, district collectorates must maintain comprehensive records covering patta (land title) transfers, land acquisitions, ownership changes, encroachments, government land leases, land reclassification, and tax-related schemes. These records must also be submitted to the Land Reforms Department for centralized monitoring.
The guidelines specify that every district must have a dedicated record room located on the ground floor, well-protected from sunlight, rain, and pests. Confidential documents should be stored separately with proper labeling. Routine cleaning, pest control, and regular checks have also been made mandatory to ensure the safety and longevity of records.
All documents will now be categorized into four groups — retention/disposals (permanent), disposals (to be destroyed after ten years), standing orders, and current records. Closed files will be marked in black ink, while pending files will use red ink, helping staff easily identify document status. Serial and document numbers must be clearly displayed for quick reference.
The circular also reiterates that RTI applications submitted to the Land Reforms Department should be transferred to the concerned district offices under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act. It emphasizes that these requests must be resolved promptly by the respective collectorates.
With these new measures, Tamil Nadu aims to improve efficiency, enhance public access to land information, and strengthen the integrity of government land records. The initiative is expected to make land administration more transparent and citizen-friendly across the state.
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