PLRA - History

The system of maintenance of Land Records in the areas comprising Punjab was initially developed for the purpose of revenue collection. The codified system of written land records was developed after the British occupied Punjab. Land Revenue was a major source of income for the state and maintenance of current land records was a prerequisite for that. Although Land Revenue has been abolished, the system of maintenance of land records persists as an essential function of the government. There have been various attempts to modernize the system since the 1970’s through introduction of computer technology. Land Records Management and Information Systems Project is attempting to build on the successes of the previous attempts, learning from the mistakes and failures of these attempts.

Chapter VII of "The Imperial Gazetteer of India" The Indian Empire Vol IV; Oxford (at the Clarendon Press); 1909.