Dhaka, Dec 3 (Just News): As much as 56 per cent of service seekers need to pay bribes to get the Record of Rights (RoR) of their lands, said a recent study of non-government anti-graft watchdog Transparency International, Bangladesh (TI,B).
Releasing its study titled ‘Union Digital Centre: its role, prospects and challenges in public service’ on Sunday, the TIB said its study found that corruption is prevalent in all district level land offices.
The anti-graft watchdog released its study findings at a press conference at its Dhanmondi office in the capital. The study was conducted from June 2016 to August 2017.
It, however, said the service seekers don’t need to pay any bribe to get the same service if they take it from the Union Digital Centre (UDC).
The TIB said the Union Digital Centre is a prospective initiative to make available different government, commercial and information services at the people’s doorsteps in an easy and quick manner.
The study found that over 48 per cent service seekers had to spend four to five hours for submitting the application for withdrawing the Record of Rights of their lands at district level land offices.
And they also had to spend on average Tk 449 each for their transport, meals or refreshments. Besides, 56 percent service seekers had to pay bribe of Tk 737 on average.
On the other hand, one needs to spend only one or two hours to get the same service from the Union Digital Centre.
The study found that none of service seekers who were interviewed for the study had to pay the bribe for getting Record of Rights from the Union Digital Centre.
Lying emphasis on expediting the process of digitalisation in the land administration, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said the process of digitalisation begun much earlier, but the implantation rate is very slow.
“And the delay is benefiting land officials and employees,” he said.
(Just News/ys/2330hr)
