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Editorial

Land ministry goes tough on corruption

Ensure graft-free land services at all levels


Bangladeshpost
Published : 16 Sep 2021 08:52 PM | Updated : 17 Sep 2021 02:04 AM

We appreciate the land ministry’s tough stance against corruption at the grassroots level especially union land offices across the country. The ministry is going to intensify whirlwind inspection at land offices across the country in order to uproot corruptions and irregularities The intensified whirlwind visit will issue a strong warning against the corrupt officials in the field-level administration. Therefore, the land ministry’s directives must reach the administrations at the grassroots level that tough action would be taken if anyone resorts to corruption.

It has been noticed since long that the service seekers who live in rural area are being harassed and humiliated in many ways by the deputy assistant land officer also widely known as Nayeb when they go to the union land office to pay the land development tax or other land related works.

The intensified whirlwind visit will issue a strong warning against the 

corrupt officials in the field-level administration

As reported by this daily on Thursday, a grim scenario has been prevailing at most of the union land offices across the country for a long time as people usually do not get service from Nayeb without bribe. People should not be harassed and humiliated in this way. We think such harassment, humiliation and corruption at union land offices must be stopped immediately.

The government has already taken steps to digitise the land management. In this regard it has established a new building named “Bhumi Bhaban” in the capital's Tejgaon area which is expected to be a "one-stop-service" hub for land related services. Hence, the country’s people will get hassle-free services as all the offices related to land now will be accommodated under the rooftop of this Bhaban.

In old system, a land owner must go to the Union Land Office to pay the land development tax, but the new way would enable the owner to pay the tax without visiting the office. We think the government should introduce the "one-stop-service" as early as possible to reduce people’s sufferings and harassments. Besides, it must conduct a cent percent e-mutation process and make the land management system of Bangladesh fully digitalised. Therefore, no Nayeb will dare to harass and humiliate the rural service seekers in coming days.