KIADB to go end-to-end digital: Minister sets 100-day deadline

The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) is set to digitise every stage of its operations, from land acquisition to the allotment of industrial plots. The move is expected to benefit all stakeholders, including farmers and industrial investors. Large and Medium Industries Minister M. B. Patil on Wednesday set a 100-day deadline for completing all work related to the digitisation initiative

During the second departmental progress review meeting held at Khanija Bhavan after the formation of the new government, the minister outlined the key tasks to be completed within the next 100 days and issued clear directions to officials.

Speaking after the meeting, Patil said that every detail relating to plots in both old and newly developed industrial areas across the State would be digitised under the Integrated Land Management System developed by the Government’s e-Governance Department. He added that as many as 77 data fields would be maintained for each industrial plot.

Details relating to plot allotments, their current status, industries operating on them, investments made, employment generated, compensation paid to affected farmers, court cases, and timelines granted to investors will be available instantly through the digital platform. He explained that the initiative would not only eliminate the challenges associated with preserving old records but also ensure that all information remains securely stored on a permanent basis.

Patil noted that in the past, inadequate record management had led to a few instances where compensation was paid twice for the same parcel of land.

The new system, he said, would bring complete transparency and enable investors to access the required information from anywhere, eliminating the need for middlemen.

Karnataka currently has 224 industrial areas, and records relating to thousands of plots in these areas will soon be scanned and securely digitised. The minister said the initiative forms part of the government’s broader effort to introduce citizen-friendly reforms in the Industries Department.

He directed officials to complete the scanning of plot allotment records in the older industrial areas within one month. The digitised data will then be shared with the e-Governance Department for the development of software tailored to KIADB’s requirements. Subsequently, the system will be integrated with the Rural Development Department’s e-Swathu platform. This will facilitate various processes, including the issuance of e-Khatas, and help streamline related services, he said. Industries Department Principal Secretary S. Selvakumar, Commissioner Khushboo Goel, KIADB Chief Executive Officer Govind Reddy, Minister’s Technical Advisor Aravinda Galagali and other senior officials were present at the meeting.