The State had no proper land management system during the Maharaja’s regime. Whatsoever land records and land management system maintained by them could not prove adequate to the need of administrative purpose. After merging with the Union of India, the land management system at that time failed to meet the requirement of the new situation that had emerged.

   Therefore, considering the proper administration and look after of State land management, a State level Revenue Administrative was set up headed by a Secretary in the Department. Under him, two wings are working out of which one is headed by the Director Land Records & Settlement who is State level authority in respect of Survey, Settlement and preparation of Record of rights in the State.

   In the other wing, there are District Collectors who are in-charge of the Revenue Administration for respective Districts and for updating land Records.

Administrative structure of Revenue Department

Secretary Revenue

   In the year of 2003 the District Level officers of Directorate of Land Records & Settlement merged with respective District Administration and now revisional survey work is carried out by the District Administration.

Settlement Operation & Preparation Land Records:

   In mid sixties the Revenue Department started the 1^st Settlement Operation in the state under the administration of Director, Land Records & Settlement for useful Land Management with a View to:

• Survey and preparation of maps. Preparation of R-o-Rs (khatian).
• Settlement of Land Revenue. Collection of various land statistics.
• Abolition of inter-mediators rights.

   As a result, Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act was passed in September 1960 and brought into force in April 1961. The land of entire State had been surveyed and Land Revenue of each and every plot of land has been assessed according to the class of land determined in the Settlement Operation in pursuance of The Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960 and Rules made thereunder. During the Survey period the status of land and their Records- of-Rights were prepared according to right title and physical possession. After making individual Records-of-Rights and Settlement of Land Revenue the finally published records were kepts and Settlement by the District Administration through his agency with a view up to dating the Record-of-Rights and collection of Revenue considering the changes in the next and field with regards to transfer of land and changes of classification.

National Land Records Modernization Programme 

   The work load on Revenue Administration is increasing day-by-day along with population increase as well as addressing of complex issues like land resources management and sustainable planning for Tripura.

   Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) offers a unique opportunity to lead effective changes in the Revenue Administrative process. Government of Tripura is taking various initiatives under the guidance of the GOI to empower Revenue Administration both functionally and financially, improve their capacities and provide enabling environment for them to function efficiently, effectively, in a transparent and accountable manner by using computerization system under the Centrally sponsored Scheme of (i) Computerisation of Land Records Project(CLR) (ii) Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA:ULR). For modernization of land records system in the country, a modified Programme viz, the National Land Records modernization Progrmme (NLRMP) has been formulated by merging two Centrally sponsored Scheme CLR & SRA:ULRduring the year 2008-09.

Objective of the NLRMP:

   The main objective of the NLRMP is to develop a modern, comprehensive and transparent land records management system in the country with the aim to implement the conclusive land-titling system with title guarantee, which will be based on four basic principles, i.e.

1. a single window to handle land records (including the maintenance and updating of textual records, maps survey and settlement operations and registration of immovable property),
2. the –mirror principle, which refers to the fact that cadastral records mirror the ground reality.
3. the curtain principle which indicates that the records of title is a true depiction of the ownership status, mutation is automated and automatic following registration and the reference to past records is not necessary, and
4. title insurance, which guarantees the title foe its correctness and indemnifies the title holder against loss arising on account of any defect therein.

Scope of NLRMP: The following is an outline of the components and activities to be taken up under the NLRMP:

   Computerization of land records [100% central funding]

1. Data entry khatians including mutation through computerized process.
2. Digitization of cadastral maps
3. Integration of textual and spatial data
4. Tehsil/ sub-division/ district Level Computer centers for Providing citizen services by computerized system in stead of Manual process.
5. State-level data centers- for preservation all land records data in secured with the help of IT Solution.
6. Inter-connectivity among revenue offices- for on line facility.