Chandigarh, Feb 3 (IANS) Punjab will soon become the first state to provide online access to all land records, it was announced Wednesday.

The concerned departments are set to complete the Rs.115 crore project to computerise land records in all 153 tehsils and sub-tehsils and to make them available online by the end of 2010.

The first fully computerised land record kiosk was inaugurated Wednesday in Faridkot district by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

'After providing computer connectivity in all the tehsils, Punjab will develop software to provide online access to the land records, fulfilling the long pending demand of NRI population. We are committed to improving delivery system of all government services in the state,' said Badal.

'For decades, farmers have suffered at the hands of some corrupt revenue officials due to lack of transparency in the land records. There were many instances of property frauds and scams in various parts of Punjab. Now the computerisation of land records will free farmers and other land owners from the bureaucratic hassles and will empower them,' he said.

According to officials, 75 percent of the work of computerisation of land records has been completed and total land records would be on the internet by December 2010.