The minister of state for Rural Development, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, emphasized the importance of modernizing urban land management to keep up with the rapid urbanization in India. He highlighted the digitization of land records in 625,000 villages across the country as a significant step forward.
Accurate land records are more than just administrative tools, they are essential for effective socio-economic planning, public service delivery, and conflict resolution, the minister explained during a workshop on surveying for urban land records.
One key focus of the government is to leverage technology to reduce disputes related to land. The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN), or “Bhu-Aadhaar,” will be assigned to all land parcels, cadastral maps will be digitized, and a land registry will be established and linked with farmers’ registry for rural land.
Urban land records will also be digitized using GIS mapping tools, with states being encouraged to implement these reforms quickly through interest-free loans. Pemmasani stressed the importance of using advanced technology like drones, aircraft-based surveys, and satellite imagery to ensure accurate land measurements and minimize errors.
The department of land resources has initiated a pilot project to digitize urban land records in 130 cities within a year. The “National geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban Habitations (NAKSHA)” aims to expand this project to cover 4,900 cities over the next five years.
Industry partners and international experts from various countries shared their insights during the workshop, highlighting the importance of embracing new technologies for efficient urban governance.
