Property type conversion: Online applications pile up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the governor not signing the bill to empower deputy collectors appointed in 78 taluks, apart from 27 RDOs to dispose of online applications for property type conversion in a timely manner, the applications are piling up.

About 500 applications are received daily. As of October 27, 3,34,694 applications have been received. Of this, 93,520 settled. The Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by the assembly in September to empower 78 more deputy collectors, is stuck in the Raj Bhavan. The government had issued an order directing the Land Revenue Commissioner to redeploy 1319 employees including 197 LD typists, 201 UD typists and 921 office attendants to offices with higher workload. But this has not happened as the list of employees who can be redeployed from each district is not ready.

Appointment to the new post will also be delayed

In August, the government had sanctioned 372 posts to speed up processing of property type conversion applications. 249 permanent posts and 123 temporary posts of surveyors have been sanctioned, including 68 junior superintendents and 181 clerks. But the exact vacancies have not been reported till now. These steps also take time to complete.