Recorded manually ever since the charting of land rights began, land records are awaiting a digital makeover. Thanks to the Geographic Information System (GIS), land record digitization has become possible.
Coupled with methods such as Satellite Imagery and Airborne Surveys, accurate mapping of land has been on the cards for over a decade in India. However, the large landmass and distorted as well as conflicted records make the feat not just difficult but lengthy.
During the interim budget in April, Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman disclosed that digitization of land records has become a key point that shall undergo reform after the new government forms.
The Economic Times reported that the government may allot Rs 1,035 crores to digitize urban records while planning to complete the process by 2026.
Three months later, with the BJP retaining the election result in their favor, Sitharaman has made the first step towards the promise of digitization – and it comes in the urban part of India.
“Land records in urban areas will be digitized with GIS mapping. An IT based system for property record and tax administration will be established. It will improve the financial position of urban local bodies,” she said during her budget speech on 23rd July 2024.
She further stated that several states will be consulted and incentivized for land-related reforms and actions within the next three years through fiscal support.
“Land-related reforms and actions in rural areas to cover land administration and planning. In urban areas, it will cover urban planning, usage and building bylaws,” she added.
Overall, Introducing technological advancement in a sector that has lacked any tech support may boost the transparency and workflow of land allotment and solve numerous conflicts.
A unique identification number for land was also proposed by the government called the ‘Bhu-Aadhaar’ in rural areas. On the same note, the digitization of all urban land records as part of several land-related reforms was also announced in the budget.
This includes the digitization of cadastral maps, survey of map sub-divisions as per current ownership, the establishment of land registry, and linking to the farmers’ registry. These actions will facilitate credit flow and other agri services, she said.
“The focus on rural land records, GIS mapping for urban land records, and the use of GIS for property tax collection also offer opportunities for the GIS industry. These will improve the income of cities which can be used to improve the quality of infrastructure in cities and to provide better living conditions to the citizens,” said Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India.
Although the land digitization process wasn’t given a standalone number in terms of money allotted, the various efforts outlined during the finance minister’s speech do point towards a digital makeover is on the burner.
Recorded manually ever since the charting of land rights began, land records are awaiting a digital makeover. Thanks to the Geographic Information System (GIS), land record digitization has become possible.
Coupled with methods such as Satellite Imagery and Airborne Surveys, accurate mapping of land has been on the cards for over a decade in India. However, the large landmass and distorted as well as conflicted records make the feat not just difficult but lengthy.
During the interim budget in April, Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman disclosed that digitization of land records has become a key point that shall undergo reform after the new government forms.
The Economic Times reported that the government may allot Rs 1,035 crores to digitize urban records while planning to complete the process by 2026.
Three months later, with the BJP retaining the election result in their favor, Sitharaman has made the first step towards the promise of digitization – and it comes in the urban part of India.
“Land records in urban areas will be digitized with GIS mapping. An IT based system for property record and tax administration will be established. It will improve the financial position of urban local bodies,” she said during her budget speech on 23rd July 2024.
She further stated that several states will be consulted and incentivized for land-related reforms and actions within the next three years through fiscal support.
“Land-related reforms and actions in rural areas to cover land administration and planning. In urban areas, it will cover urban planning, usage and building bylaws,” she added.
Overall, Introducing technological advancement in a sector that has lacked any tech support may boost the transparency and workflow of land allotment and solve numerous conflicts.
A unique identification number for land was also proposed by the government called the ‘Bhu-Aadhaar’ in rural areas. On the same note, the digitization of all urban land records as part of several land-related reforms was also announced in the budget.
This includes the digitization of cadastral maps, survey of map sub-divisions as per current ownership, the establishment of land registry, and linking to the farmers’ registry. These actions will facilitate credit flow and other agri services, she said.
“The focus on rural land records, GIS mapping for urban land records, and the use of GIS for property tax collection also offer opportunities for the GIS industry. These will improve the income of cities which can be used to improve the quality of infrastructure in cities and to provide better living conditions to the citizens,” said Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India.
Although the land digitization process wasn’t given a standalone number in terms of money allotted, the various efforts outlined during the finance minister’s speech do point towards a digital makeover is on the burner.