First-of-its-kind: Jabalpur collector transforms revenue record room with tech-driven overhaul

Bhopal: In a pioneering move that could redefine the way land and revenue records are managed in India, Jabalpur Collector Deepak Saxena has led a sweeping transformation of the district’s revenue record room—converting a chaotic, decaying storage space into a fully digitised, air-conditioned and citizen-friendly facility.

The initiative, a first-of-its-kind in Madhya Pradesh, expectedly in the country too, has recently been inaugurated by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who lauded the effort of the collector of Jabalpur as a model for administrative reform and farmer welfare.

The overhaul aligns with CM Yadav’s vision of transparency, efficiency and accessibility in public service delivery.

For decades, revenue record rooms across the country have been synonymous with disorganisation—mouldy files, foul smells, missing documents and a culture of dependence on clerical staff to trace even the most basic case records. Jabalpur was no exception, until the collectorate, with the help of nearly 300 staffers, undertook a four-month-long revamp.

Under the new system, every file has been dusted, categorised, and sealed in transparent plastic sleeves. These have been stored in colour-coded plastic boxes labelled by tehsil, village, year and case type. The boxes have been placed on uniquely numbered racks and shelves, creating a foolproof physical coding system.

What makes the initiative stand out is its integration with technology. A dedicated online portal now allows citizens to enter a few details to instantly locate their case file, right down to the box and shelf number. Kiosks installed outside the record room provide printed slips of the file’s location, enabling easy access and reducing human interference.

“The key to the file is now in the hands of the applicant, not the clerk,” Collector Saxena told Millennium Post. “This transformation has ended the era of red tape and brought in a new age of citizen empowerment,” he said.

The record room, once a dusty labyrinth, now resembles a secured archive vault—with air-conditioning, fresh paint, and a modern layout. Employees, too, report a better work environment and reduced workload.

Officials estimate that the life of physical records has now been extended by at least 25 to 50 years.

The Jabalpur model is being viewed as a potential template for similar reforms across Madhya Pradesh and beyond.