Panaji, Oct 10 (IANS): Goa's Minister for Archives and Archaeology Subhash Phaldessai on Monday said that his department will design a robust software with multiple level securities to curb misuse and manipulation of old documents.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing land scams in Goa had earlier arrested staff of the Archives Department, for their alleged involvement in transferring of documents.

Referring to the incident, Phaldessai said that multiple level security is required for these documents, so they are not misused.

"Those who really need these documents with purpose, they should get it instantly. Those eligible and entitled can be given a hard copy also. Such kind of robust software will be designed and the digitisation process of old documents will be immediately started. We will soon go for digitisation of these documents."

He said that the Department has done deep study of all the aspects, before starting the digitisation process.

"These documents are very delicate to handle. The process is very long and hence it would take at least 5 years to complete digitisation."

Phaldessai said that around 4 to 6 crore pages, ledger folios and volumes need to be converted into English.

"They need to be preserved in electronic form, because we see many land scams have taken place in the past. Digitisation should take place, so in future manipulation will not take place, as it happened in the past. Huge quantum of land was grabbed by these persons by manipulation in documents. They created ownership of land of those people, by identifying them, who were not staying in Goa," he said while congratulating Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for his swift action against the land scam.

"If these (old documents) were digitised earlier, these scams would have not taken place. Manipulation should not take place."

He said that though it is a very difficult task, but Department will work on it.