Syllabus: GS2/Governance
Context
- Recently, the Government launched a pilot project, the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA).
About
- Announced in 2024-25 Budget.
- Aim: To standardise record-keeping, simplify processes and bring transparency in land transactions.
- Budget: Rs 5,000 crore for the first phase.
- Features:
- Creating updated digitised land records in 150 cities across the country in the next year.
- To link each land parcel with details about the owner of the land and the type of development on it.
- Cover the entire urban area in the country within a period of 5 years.
- Background: As per the 2023-24 Economic Survey, nearly 40% of India’s population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2030.
- Streamlining land and property record systems is essential for the planned development of cities.
- Only a few states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat have a system of urban land record management in place.
- Most cities are having outdated land records due to the involvement of multiple agencies.
- Other Initiatives: There has been the successful implementation of two crucial Central government schemes — the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) and the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme.
- These schemes aimed to modernise land records in rural areas for agricultural land parcels and residential areas.
Need for Digitization of Land Records
- It will transform land management by addressing traditional challenges like disputes, fraud, and inefficient manual processes.
- Ownership information will be easily accessible online, enhancing transparency and reducing illegal encroachments.
- It simplifies dispute resolution, easing court burdens, and empowering marginalized communities by improving access to land rights.
- Integration with geospatial mapping enhances land management, enabling accurate surveys and planning.
- During land acquisitions or disasters, digital records ensure fair and timely compensation.
Achievements under DILRMP
- It was restructured as a Central Sector Scheme in 2016 to establish a modern and transparent land records management system.
- Achievements:
- Around 95% of land records have been computerized.
- Digitization of cadastral maps has reached 68.02% at national level.
- 87% of Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) have been integrated with land records.
Conclusion
- India is witnessing a transformative shift in land governance, focusing on enhancing transparency and accessibility of land information.
- This change is especially important for marginalized communities, as it empowers them with secure and accessible proof of ownership.
- As land records become clearer and more accessible, they pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.
Source: TP
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