The High Court of Karnataka has ordered the Chief Commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to digitize all property documents, including old records, and restrict access to authorized officers. The directive, prompted by a petition from Aslama Pasha regarding a building construction dispute, emphasizes that BBMP should serve as the custodian of records and coordinate access within its departments. The court encourages efficient information sharing among BBMP departments, and collaboration with the government's e-Governance Department to create a consolidated repository of property documents. This move modernizes document access, enhances transparency, and streamlines property-related matters, ultimately expediting transactions and dispute resolution.
The High Court of Karnataka has issued a directive to the Chief Commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to undertake the digitalization of all property documents, including old records. The court further instructed that access to these digitized documents should be granted exclusively to authorized officers empowered to adjudicate property-related complaints in accordance with the law. To ensure the security and privacy of these records, the court emphasized that access should be restricted to authorized users with unique usernames and passwords, preventing any third-party access.
This directive from the High Court of Karnataka stems from a petition filed by an individual named Aslama Pasha. Pasha had challenged an order issued against him regarding the construction of a building, citing his failure to produce the sanctioned building plan. Pasha contended that a sanctioned plan did exist but there was a delay in submitting it to the BBMP authorities.
The court, in its wisdom, underlined that even though the BBMP comprises various departments, it functions as a unified entity. Consequently, access to all relevant documents should be extended to authorized officers within the organization. This perspective acknowledges that, as the custodian of these records, the BBMP should not demand the citizens to provide these documents and should refrain from making unfavourable assumptions in cases of non-production, as done in this case. The court expressed the view that BBMP officials should have, in the absence of document production, examined the organization's internal records.
Additionally, the court clarified that a single department within the BBMP cannot assert that it lacks access to specific documents related to a property, especially when those documents have been issued by another department within the BBMP. This directive underscores the need for effective coordination and information sharing among the various departments of the BBMP.
Furthermore, recognizing that various property-related documents might be scattered across different departments of the State government, the BBMP and the e-Governance Department of the government have been tasked with the responsibility of mapping and tagging all these documents with the BBMP's property data. This approach aims to create a consolidated and easily accessible repository of property-related records, streamlining the process for citizens, authorities, and other stakeholders involved in property-related matters.
In essence, the High Court's directive serves to modernize and digitize the process of accessing property documents and information within the BBMP. It will not only enhance transparency but also simplifies the handling of property-related matters. This digitization effort is also expected to reduce delays caused by the physical retrieval of documents, making property transactions and dispute resolution more efficient.
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