The complex nature of e-government projects: A case study of bhoomi, an initiative in Karnataka, India

Abstract

The Bhoomi e-government project of Karnataka is fast gaining recognition as one of the best-implemented projects in India. As of this writing, the Bhoomi model of digitizing land records and implementing a system of easy access to records, for verification and changes, is being adopted by the Government of India to replicate on a nationwide basis. This follows a felt need by the government to improve services for the bulk of India’s over 1 billion population that is engaged in agriculture. The Bhoomi project is designed for the computerization of land records and all operations that surround it, such as, obtaining a copy of a land record, correction of errors on a land record, the mutation of land records, etc. The process was initiated in 1991 and to date about 20 million land records have been digitized covering the land holdings of some 6.7 million farmers in the state. Bhoomi kiosks are now located in all 177 taluks (a division of a district) of the state’s 27 districts.