Settlement And Land Records Department
- Home
- Myanmar
- Legal System
- Introduction
- The Administrative and Regulatory Bodies
- Settlement And Land Records Department
Brief History of the Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics (DALMS)
As a British Colony, it amassed land levies by expanding agricultural land in the manner of the subjugation of various land resources in Myanmar. It also tried to grab hold of the tax system over land produce in order to take control and stabilize their bureaucracy rule for a long time.
Myanmar was regarded as one of the states under the Indian Government, the group of staffs under the Home Department, Department of Revenue, Agriculture and Commerce, Land Revenue and Settlement, Surveyor General of India who was directed to govern the country and had to learn survey instructions in advance at the same time.
The British Colony thoroughly conducted surveying and mapping of the out of control areas in order to perpetuate their sovereignty. They ruled the regions separately and systematically collected land taxes and the collecting and compiling of agricultural statistics.
In order to prevail the regulation of their bureaucracy’s long time rule and meet with the needed budget, agricultural land was reformed to ensure commercial farming over domestic farming by giving various land tenure rights. By doing so, the sectors of tax on land, surveying, settlement, land records and agricultural production were compromised over a very long time.
In 1887, the Land Records and Agriculture Department was established by incorporation of the Land Records Department and Agriculture Department to conduct settlement sectors separately with the purpose of fixating land taxes. The British Colony recognized the Settlement Department in 1900.
The British Colony also reorganized departments in order to enact laws and governed Myanmar under the direct control of Chief Commissioner and then a Deputy Chief Commissioner ruled the country on May 1, 1987. The British Colony nominated Mr. W.T. Hall as Directorate of the Department of Land Records and Agriculture on May 12, 1887 and he carried out his duties and functions by assigning district commissioners under his direct supervision.
On Feb 20, 1905, the Directorate of Settlement, Land Records and Agriculture was established by incorporating the Settlement, Land Records and Agriculture sectors. In order to extend the assessment of land levies more broadly, the Commissioner of Settlement and Director of Land Records Department came into existence by separating from the Agriculture Department on Oct 15, 1906.
Subsequently, the Draft Land Nationalization Act (1948) was endorsed by government gazette of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar by the Land Administration Division under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Sept 9, 1948. Although this task force was intended to be performed firstly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, by then the Ministry of Land Nationalization had been introduced and nominated to undertake the entire work broadly and particularly in 1952 with the incorporation of the Land Nationalization Department, Compensation Department, Settlement and Land Records Department and Survey Department. In 1976, the Land Nationalization Department and Compensation Departments had come to be the subdivisions under the Settlement and Land Records Department.
On Mar 15, 1972, the Ministry of Land Nationalization was withdrawn and reorganized under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Moreover, the Settlement and Land Records Department had become reorganized with the new set up under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Jan 24, 1974.
The Settlement and Land Records Department with the strength of 395 officers and 13,919 staff have been renamed as the Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics (DALMS) in accordance with the order no. 13/ 2015 of the Union Minister’s office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery on April 28, 2015 based on the agreement of the Union Government Office’s meeting no. 2/ 2015 which was held on Jan 15, 2015.
Vision of DALMS
“To provide reliable agricultural and land use statistics for sustainable agricultural sector development”
Mission of DALMS
- To establish a reliable information system based on systematic land use statistics
- To initiate a valid information system based on reliable and strong agricultural statistics
Strategy of DALMS
- Accomplishing of maps by conducting land survey and updating maps and recorded data timely and accurately
- Collecting, compiling and disseminating of agricultural statistics timely and accurately
- Collecting, compiling and dissemination of land use data timely and accurately
- Establishment of an information system on agriculture and land utilization sectors
- Collaboration with administrative bodies respectively in accordance with the existing Farmland Law and Vacant, Fallow and Waste Lands Management Law
- Conducting settlement activities
- Conducting agricultural census and compiling and disseminating of census data
- Registration of deeds in line with the existing Registration Act
- Upgrading capacity building of outstanding staffs for department activities
Main Function of DALMS
- Implementation of advanced surveying and mapping by systematic planning in order to transform existing cadastral paper maps into digital ones yearly
- Collecting, compiling and disseminating of agricultural statistics timely and accurately in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations
- Collecting, compiling and dissemination of land use data timely and accurately in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations
- Establishment of information and networking system by applying advanced surveying maps, agricultural and land utilization statistics from DALMS
- Collaboration and active participation of DALMS’ staff in administrative bodies and committees respectively in accordance with the existing Farmland Law and Vacant, Fallow and Waste Lands Management Law
- Conducting settlement activities in line with the Settlement Manual and Instructions
- Agricultural and socio-economics census needed to disseminate agricultural statistics and information to meet with international standards
- Registration of deeds in line with the regulations of the existing Registration Act
- Conducting needed workshops and training for upgrading the capacity building of staff in order to accomplish the visions and missions of DALMS successfully