Impact of early access to land record information through digitization: Evidence from Alternate Dispute Resolution Data in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

We leverage novel data extracted from weekly updated registers of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) centres to examine the impact of early access to land record information through digitization on dispute resolution outcomes in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Employing a quasi-experimental design, we estimate the causal effect of early access to Punjab Land Record Management Information System (PLRMIS) on the registration and resolution process of land-related disputes. Our results reveal that ADR centres in districts with early treatment experience an average increase of approximately 50 cases compared to those in districts with late treatment. By utilizing generalized multi-level mixed effect and two-stage least square models, we find that early implementation of PLRMIS significantly increases successful mediation outcomes by 126 cases in the treatment region with no effect on mediation failure cases. These findings provide compelling evidence for the pivotal role of PLRMIS in facilitating effective alternate dispute resolution, indicating increased public utilization of the system. Our results underscore the effectiveness of digitization and e-governance systems in improving land administration, reducing information asymmetry, and expediting the dispute resolution process.