Govt to take up centrally coordinated survey and re-survey of lands: Minister

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The government on Thursday said it will take up a centrally coordinated and technology-driven survey and re-survey of lands, as inaccurate and outdated land records are causing disputes.

The centrally-sponsored programme would be technology driven, leveraging aerial surveys through drones and aircraft, at just 10 per cent of the cost of traditional methods, said Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications.

The scheme will also use AI, GIS and high accuracy equipment. It would be co-operative with the states conducting ground-truthing and validations while the Centre provides policy, funding, and technological backbone.

The programme will be implemented in five phases, starting with 3 lakh sq km of rural agricultural land, over a two-year period with an outlay of Rs 3,000 crore for Phase I, the minister said

He also urged the states to complete the integration of Aadhaar numbers with Records of Rights (RoRs) — a reform that will help link land ownership with unique digital identity, eliminate impersonation, and ensure targeted delivery of benefits such as Agristack, PM-KISAN and crop insurance.

He was speaking at the national workshop on survey/re-survey under Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, attended by senior officers from the Centre and states, experts and field practitioners.

The minister said reforms like resurvey, digitization, paperless offices, court case management and Aadhaar integration — will create a comprehensive and transparent land governance ecosystem.

Stating that proper surveys unlock the economic potential of land when the records match ground reality, banks can confidently extend credit, businessmen can invest with certainty and farmers can access agricultural support.

“If we want fast highways, smart cities, safe housing, and sustainable agriculture, we must start from the ground — quite literally”, the minister added.

Though substantial progress has been made under the DILRMP, a major pending component – survey and re-survey has so far been completed in only four percent of villages as this task is a mass administrative, technological and public engagement exercise, he said.

“Many states have not carried out map-based subdivisions, or kept spatial records in sync with textual updates, making the current cadastral maps obsolete. Our experience shows that without political will and strong coordination; surveys lose momentum and remain unfinished,” said the minister.

--IANS

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