July 29, 2024
By Anjali Kochhar
Raipur, the capital of Indian state of Chhattisgarh, has taken a significant leap towards modernising its administrative processes by integrating blockchain technology into its real estate record-keeping. Partnering with Airchains, a company specialising in blockchain-based privacy models, the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) aims to ensure the transparency, security, and immutability of its records. “Certification should be secure, and decentralisation is the future we should work on,” Abinash Mishra, Commissioner of RMC, told a foreign media outlet.
The adoption of blockchain technology aligns with the broader trend of leveraging advanced digital solutions for public administration in India. In recent years, several state authorities have implemented blockchain for various administrative tasks. For instance, in 2022, Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad police partnered with Polygon to create a blockchain-based tracking system for public complaints. Similarly, Muzaffarnagar police initiated a project in 2021 to develop smart policing solutions using blockchain. The Maharashtra government has also utilised blockchain to issue verifiable caste certificates and digital diplomas.
The Raipur Municipal Corporation issues over 8,000 building permits, work orders, and colony development permissions annually. Historically, this process has faced challenges, including document forgery and lengthy verification times. “We issue building permission certificates and previously we have had many issues such as forgery of documents,” Mishra explained. “We developed the solution with the Airchains team and now we are exploring similar digital documentation through blockchain of essential services that urban bodies usually produce which are birth, death, and marriage certificates.”
Airchains’ use of Zero-Knowledge Fully Homomorphic Encryption (zk-FHE) marks the first instance of this technology in India. “ZK is used to prove that something is true without revealing any additional information, whereas FHE is used to perform computations on encrypted data without needing to decrypt it,” explained Ankur Rakhi Sinha, CEO of Airchains, in a blog post.
The initiative aims to significantly reduce the time required for verifying building permission applications, which currently takes at least one month. “The verification of the facts in the building permission applications takes at least one month, between seven days for a bank to pass a loan and communicating that to the municipal commissioner who will then write to the subordinate. The goal here is to reduce that time to a matter of three days,” Mishra said. This reduction in processing time is expected to streamline administrative workflows and enhance service delivery, fostering greater public trust in the system.
“Every building permission will have its own smart contract, and every update on the building permission will be updated on that similar smart contract,” Sinha noted. As of now, RMC is not on-chain live yet but has encrypted around 100,000 old certificates using zk-FHE. Once the system goes live, current daily data will also be integrated.
Experts in the field have lauded Raipur’s initiative as a significant advancement in public sector transparency and efficiency. “Raipur’s initiative to put real estate records on blockchain is a significant step in leveraging blockchain technology in governance and for public benefit. By ensuring transparency, security, and immutability of records, this project exemplifies the transformative potential of blockchain in enhancing public trust and operational efficiency,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus Crypto Platform.
Mr. Edul Patel, CEO and Co-founder of Mudrex, emphasized the broader implications of this move. “The Raipur Municipal Corporation’s initiative to use blockchain for real estate records marks a significant advancement in public sector transparency and efficiency. By partnering with AirChains, they are leveraging Zero-Knowledge Fully Homomorphic Encryption to ensure secure and tamper-proof documentation. This move not only slashes the processing time for building permissions from a month to three days but also combats forgery, fostering greater trust in public records.”
Sinha’s comments further underscore the technological sophistication of the project. “ZK is used to prove that something is true without revealing any additional information, whereas FHE is used to perform computations on encrypted data without needing to decrypt it,” he said. This ensures that the encryption keys remain with the government body, enhancing data security.
Raipur’s blockchain initiative exemplifies the transformative potential of digital technology in public administration. By embracing blockchain, Raipur is setting a precedent for other cities to follow, paving the way for a more transparent, efficient, and secure governance model. Mishra concluded, “This is a small initiative we have taken. I think many people will adopt it.”
As Raipur moves forward with this ground-breaking project, it not only enhances its own administrative processes but also sets a benchmark for other municipalities in India to leverage blockchain technology for public benefit.
About the author
Anjali Kochhar covers cryptocurrency stories in India as well as globally. Having been in the field of media and journalism for over three years now, she has developed a sharp news sense and works hard to present information that goes beyond the obvious. She is an avid reader and loves writing on a wide range of subjects.
Awesome post.