Department of Agriculture Land Management and Statistics

Brief History of the Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics (DALMS)

 British Colony amassed land levies by expanding agricultural land in what a manner of subjugated various land resources in Myanmar and they tried to grab hold of tax system over land produce in order to take control and stabilize their bureaucracy rule long time.

Myanmar was regarded as one of the states of under India government, the group of staffs under Home Department, Department of Revenue, Agriculture and Commerce, Land Revenue and Settlement, Surveyor General of India who was directed to govern our country had to learn survey instructions in advance at the same time.

British Colony thoroughly conducted surveying and mapping under out of control areas in order to perpetuate their sovereignty. They ruled regions by regions separately and systematically, collected land taxes and did collecting and compiling of agricultural statistics.

In order to prevalent the regulation of their bureaucracy rule long time and meet with the needed budget, agricultural land had been reformed leading to ensure commercial farming in spite of 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 compromising each other very long time.

In 1887, Land Records and Agriculture Department had been established by incorporation of Land Records Department and Agriculture Department. To conduct settlement sector separately with the purpose of fixation land taxes, British Colony recognized Settlement Department in 1900.

British Colony reorganized departments in order to enact laws and governed Myanmar under the direct control of Chief Commissioner and then Deputy Chief Commissioner ruled our country on May 1, 1897. British Colony nominated Mr. W.T. Hall as Directorate of the Department of Land Records and Agriculture on May 12, 1887 and carried out duties and functions by assigning district commissioners under his direct supervision.

On Feb 20, 1905, Directorate of Settlement, Land Records and Agriculture had been established by incorporating with Settlement, Land Records and Agriculture sectors. In order to extent the assessment of land levies more broadly, Commissioner of Settlement and Director of Land Records Department came into existence by separating Agriculture Department independently on Oct 15, 1906.

The Draft Land Nationalization Act (1948) was endorsed with government gazette of the republic of the Union of Myanmar by Land Administration Division under Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Sept 9, 1948. Although this task force was intended to perform firstly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Land Nationalization had been introduced and nominated to do so the entire work broadly and particularly in 1952 with the incorporation of Land Nationalization Department, Compensation Department, Settlement and Land Records Department and Survey Department. In 1976, Land Nationalization Department and Compensation Departments had come to be the subdivisions under Settlement and Land Records Department.

On Mar 15, 1972, Ministry of Land Nationalization was withdrawn and reorganized under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Moreover, Settlement and Land Records Department had come into reorganize with new set up under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Jan 24, 1974.

Settlement and Land Records Department with the strength of officer 395 and staffs 13919 have been renamed as Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics (DALMS) in accordance with the order no. 13/ 2015 of the Union Minister’ 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 hold on Jan 15, 2015. The strength of officer 697 and staffs 17727 have been Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics (DALMS) in accordance with based on the agreement of the Union Government Office’s meeting no. 11/ 2019 which hold on Jun 20, 2019.

Vision of DALMS

            “To provide reliable agricultural and land use statistics for sustainable agricultural sector development”

 

Mission of DALMS

a.    To establish reliable information system based on systematic land use statistics

b.    To initiate valid information system depend on reliable and strong agricultural statistics

Strategy of DALMS

a.    Accomplishing of maps by conducting land survey and updating maps and recorded data timely and accurately

b.    Collecting, compiling and disseminating of agricultural statistics timely and accurately

c.    Collecting, compiling and dissemination of land use data timely and accurately

d.    Establishment of information system on agriculture and land utilization sectors

e.    Collaboration with administrative bodies respectively in accordance with the existing Farmland Law and Vacant, Fallow and Waste Lands Management Law

f.     Conducting settlement activities

g.    Conducting agricultural census and compiling and disseminating of census data

h.    Registration of deeds in line with the existing Registration Act

i.     Upgrading capacity building of outstanding staffs for department activities

Main Function of DALMS

a.    Implementation of advanced surveying and mapping by systematic planning in order to transform existing cadastral paper maps into digital ones yearly

b.    Collecting, compiling and disseminating of agricultural statistics timely and accurately in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations

c.    Collecting, compiling and dissemination of land use data timely and accurately in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations

d.    Establishment of information and networking system by applying advanced surveying maps, agricultural and land utilization statistics from DALMS

e.    Collaboration and active participation of DALMS’ staffs in administrative bodies and committees respectively in accordance with the existing Farmland Law and Vacant, Fallow and Waste Lands Management Law

f.     Conducting settlement activities in line with the Settlement Manual and Instructions

g.    Agricultural and socio-economics census needed to disseminate agricultural statistics and information have to meet with international standards

h.    Registration of deeds in line with the regulations of existing Registration Act

i.     Conducting needed workshops and trainings for upgrading capacity building of staffs in order to accomplish the visions and missions of DALMS successfully

Formation of Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics Department

(1)         Administrative Division

(2)         Settlement, Planning and Research Division

(3)         Land Records, Survey and Print Division

(4)         Land Management Division

(5)         Statistics Division

(6)         Budget and Account Division

(7)         Land Utilization and Inspection Division

(8)                Central Land Records Development Training Centre