The Indian newspaper, Economic Times (ET), reported recently that the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are exploring the use of Blockchain for storing government data.
The Andhra Pradesh state government plans to start moving some departmental data onto Blockchain platforms within 8-12 months. Pilots have been launched two departments, civil supplies and land records.
Telangana has already started a pilot programme in parts of capital city, Hyderabad, to use Blockchain technology for land registration and integration with the state revenue department in association with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The programme is expected to be rolled out across Hyderabad and surrounding semi-urban areas within the next 6-12 months.
According to the ET article, the two states are seeking assistance from Blockchain startups. The Andhra Pradesh government has also initiated discussions with financial technology service provider, Broadridge Financial Solutions. (Recently, Broadbridge was involved in a collaboration with AP Electronics and IT Agency (APEITA), an autonomous institute formed by the government and GITAM University and Broadridge to introduce job-ready courses in Blockchain technology.)
According the article, the primary motivation to move data to Blockchain appears to be cybersecurity concerns, protecting the data from being tampered with or stolen.
The governments of the states of Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra have also started exploring the technology for e-governance.
Globally, the use of Blockchain-based platforms for storing land records is being explored in several countries. Sweden’s land registry authority completed the second phase of testing a way to record property transactions on a private Blockchain in March this year and embarked on the third phase in May, to integrate other Swedish public bodies, like the tax authority. The Republic of Georgia has made progress in its efforts to use Blockchain technology for validating property-related government transactions.
Featured image: Davidstankiewicz/ CC BY-SA 4.0