The Land Reforms Department has issued a detailed circular to all district collectorates and district revenue officers, outlining procedures for proper record and document maintenance to ensure easy access and long-term preservation. The move follows criticism from the State Information Commission, which had pointed out poor record-keeping practices within the department. Many RTI petitions were reportedly denied due to documents being unavailable or untraceable. According to the circular, records related to patta transfers, land acquisition, ownership details, land reclassification, encroachments, government land leases, land surrenders, and tax schemes must be maintained at the respective district collectorates, with copies forwarded to the Land Reforms Department. The circular further instructs that records be systematically categorized as retention disposals (permanent), disposals (to be destroyed after ten years), standing orders, and current documents. When an RTI application is received by the Land Reforms Department, it should be transferred to the relevant district office under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, and the concerned collectorate must provide the required information to the applicant. The circular also specifies that record rooms should ideally be located on the ground floor, protected from sunlight, rain, and pests. Confidential documents must be stored separately with restricted access, and record rooms should be regularly cleaned. Closed files are to be marked in black ink, while pending documents must be marked in red ink, each with appropriate serial and document numbers.

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