Around four crore people of the country will be directly benefitted as the land development tax can be paid from anywhere in the world through the online land development tax management system.
Announcing this here today, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said almost 3 crore and 60 lakh people of the country involved in paying land tax will be directly benefited from this service. “Land-related harassment of people will be reduced and corruption in land offices will be stopped,” he added.
The land minister was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the 'Online-based land development tax management software piloting (Phase I) program' for building digital Bangladesh with the theme 'land service in the palm of the hand' in the conference room of the land ministry on Wednesday.
The land minister further said, "In the last 10 years, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has brought about a radical change in the land management. The Ministry of Land has won the prestigious 'United Nations Public Service Award-2020' as a result of her visionary initiative to build 'Digital Bangladesh'."
The land development tax collection system has been digitized following the prevailing rules and regulations in order to ensure harassment-free services to a large number of land service recipients at low cost in a short time as part of the 'Digital Bangladesh'," Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said.
Responding to a question from a journalist on the mouza rate, the land minister said “The matter lies mainly with the jurisdiction of the law ministry. We will raise the issue at the inter-ministerial meeting.” Replying to another question, the minister said he is very optimistic about establishing online land developing tax system across the country by July 2021, next year.
Special guest of the inaugural program, Land Secretary Md. Muksodur Rahman Patwary said that the training and preparation of the officers and employees working in the selected land office has already been completed to conduct the piloting activities of land revenue collection digitally.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Land and the Land Reforms Board were also present at the inaugural program, presided over by Land Reforms Board Chairman Md. Yaqub Ali Patwari.
Besides, several officials working at the field level, including the concerned Deputy Commissioners, participated in the inaugural function through video conferencing.
At the end of the program, the land minister answered various questions of the journalists.
The Ministry of Land today issued a circular validating the receipt obtained electronically using land development tax management software.
(Mouzas selected for piloting activities)
In the first phase, 19 Mouzas under 9 municipal or union land offices under 9 Upazilas of 6 districts are selected for piloting of three case related software including land development tax management software.
Of these, 13 mouzas under 5 Municipal Land Offices are - Mirpur, Gudararchar, Noagaon, Rudragaon, Bhatirgaon, Charhogla, Mobarakdi and 176 No. Dhakirgaon mouzas under Faridganj and South Matlab upazila of Chandpur district, Bangram Chowk and Gangadhar Patti Mouzas of Manikganj Sadar, Karmuli and Maria Mouzas of Kishoreganj Sadar and Satpakia mouzas of Jamalpur Sadar.
Of these, 6 Mouzas under 4 Union Land Offices are - Tungipara mouza of Patgati union under Tungipara upazila of Gopalganj district, Mazidpur and Anandpur mouzas of Bagdhania union under Savar upazila of Dhaka, Haildhar and Malgharja mouzas of Khaskhama union of Anwara upazila of Chattogram and "Deobhog 'Mo' block" mouza of Sadar union of Narayanganj district.