Holistic - Who lives where

We keep reading about not sufficient housing for our population and GOI talking about housing for all. In addition we have a problem of those seeking shelter not getting accommodation from those who have space to let out for various reasons, which include caste and religion. While the preferences of tenant are of personal choice as such there is a situation of people hiring premises and carrying out nefarious activities, this is a regular problem for police, since they have no info till an offence takes place.

It is also noted that our local bodies like municipalities and corporations are short funded due to improper tax collection since their systems do not allow them to monitor different types of usage of a property and also due to the corruption at the lower level.

There is a need to integrate different departments of the govt in having a single platform to have a total count of various properties located in a city/town/village. It can also monitor who is occupying which property.

A software platform will be designed to capture info and cater to the following people.

Panchayat/Municipality/Corporation: Every property which has been identified as house/commercial property will be listed out by the respective local body. Using this platform every property owner will list out his dwelling info, including the Carpet and super built up area. No of floors, no of portions that could be let out. While filling in this information the property owner will have to fill in information like, his Aadhar number, property acquisition details like purchase/ inheritance document, Property tax assessment details etc. This info can be cross verified with the available records with the local body, if any discrepancy is found authorities can verify and update their records as per the factual info and not penalise the property owner nor harass them and there after charge property tax accordingly. Any deviation is a collusion between the property owner and govt staff.

DTCP/UDA: As and when a land use is changed either for commercial or residential purpose, the info will be updated into this software by this department, this will effectively ensure whether the layouts are legal or not. They will have authority to create the new plots info, this info could be used by the respective local body for their future planning of facilities and city improvement.

Registration Department: When ever a property is coming for registration, the concerned officer can verify if the property seller info is correct as per the registered record in this software. After due verification the property transfer will be carried out. There could be methods to send alerts to the recorded property owner through mobile or email about the impending sale.

Revenue Department: Since this department is involved in the change of use of a property they could also be provided access and authorisation role for property conversion. This will ensure all layouts will be legal.

Police: All property owners will be required to use this software for entering the details of the tenants to whom they have let out the property. All identification information of the tenant will have to be updated in this software for all the family members that will be living in that property. In case the property is let out for commercial activity, details of the office information like tax registration number, Owner/directors Aadhar/DIN/PAN nos etc. As and when a new tenant is coming to a property in a particular police station jurisdiction, the department will be alerted and subsequently they can verify the antecedents of the tenant in a sophisticated manner.

Salestax/Shops & Establishments: These departments can use this software to verify if the owner has given permission for this property to set up this establishment and after convincing themselves, they can issue the necessary certificate. With departmental verification happening, it would be easy for the local body to collect tax as per the usage as residential or commercial.

Service Providers: On a commercial basis, service providers like telecom, insurance, banking businesses can be asked to verify from this software for KYC norms.

Election Commission: It would become much easier for the EC to issue voter id cards based on this software and verification available through this software. Any change of residence can be automatically tracked through this software.

Civil Supplies Department: Since ration is issued to various house holds based on the information made available to the department, this can be cross verified by checking the info on this platform.

RTA: Road transport authorities can cross verify the info and register vehicles to that address and also can record the presence of these vehicles to that location and address. This could help in enumerating the number of vehicles a house hold owns/uses etc.

These are few departments that come to my mind, any other concerned department as felt by the GOI/SG can be included. It is necessary to provide access for this data on a holistic basis to various investigative agencies if required.

At every step a simple verification system (confirmatory mobile/Email response with a OTP) can be used to ensure all departments are getting proper and authenticated info.

Once this information is collected after eliminating duplication there will be comprehensive information available with the state and central govt on the population of every place, migration data, growth areas which will help them to plan welfare and development programs.

Writing the software will be the easiest part, first department will be the local bodies which will have to upload the living spaces info, so that property owners then can upload their info in full about the occupation info, including vacant position.

• There could be additional features where people can register for going on vacation, so that cops can monitor those properties more regularly.
• All properties under litigation will be recorded accordingly and as and when a court decided on the ownership, the same can be updated accordingly. In the event someone is living in that place, living info only will be captured, eliminating the conflicted data.
• Every department which will issue ID's like passport, driving licence, PAN card etc can use this platform not only to verify but also to update with the document details issued by them.
• What info should be seen by whom and who will have info on a totality basis can be determined by the MOH affairs.
• New born info can be updated by the Local body as and when it happens, similarly death, marriage etc., can be recorded accordingly.
• Since the original info will be uploaded by the user, the correctness of the info like spellings etc will be accurate and the same data can be used for printing out various certificates. Where ever there is discrepancy, it has to be substantiated with evidence by the user.

Once the platform is created, public would be given good 3-6 months time to update their info and after that those who have not done so will be visited by officers and help people update the info during a grace period beyond which penalty can be levied. If Telangana State could carry out a survey in a period of two days across the state with a population of 4 crores, nothing is impossible.

To avoid hurdles legal status should be issued to this legislation and implemented accordingly. This could bring in some changes like uniform numbering of households (today every local body follows its own method of allotting numbers to properties).