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Uttar Pradesh govt plans automatic property mutation after registration
Initiative being taken under the Centre’s Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme; every land parcel will have a unique identity ID, like an Aadhaar number
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The Uttar Pradesh government plans to introduce automatic mutation of properties after registration to spare buyers the need to undertake a separate process for updating ownership records, while improving transparency and reducing delays in property-related services.
The initiative is being taken under the Centre’s Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), implemented by the department of land resources under the Union ministry of rural development. The programme aims to modernise land records and integrate property registration, ownership records and cadastral maps through digital systems. A cadastral map is an official, large-scale map that shows the precise boundaries, dimensions, and ownership of individual land parcels.
Principal secretary, stamps and registration, Amit Kumar Gupta, said the initiative was part of the Central government’s scheme, under which states were mandated to undertake the exercise. Several departments, including revenue, urban development, housing, industry and stamps and registration, are involved in its implementation.
He said automatic mutation of agriculture property was already in practice but the system was not yet in place for properties in urban areas.
“Every land parcel will have a unique identity ID, like an Aadhaar number,” Gupta said, adding agriculture properties already have such IDs.
The unique property identification system is expected to help identify properties across departmental databases, facilitate verification of ownership records and establish better links between registration documents and land records. The Centre’s DILRMP also provides for a 14-digit Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN), known as Bhu-Aadhaar, for land parcels.
Gupta said regular meetings had been held to review progress. At a meeting chaired by chief secretary SP Goyal on Monday, the departments concerned were asked to expedite pending work to facilitate the rollout of the scheme.
Under the proposed system, the departments concerned will be connected to the stamps and registration department through digital interfaces, enabling them to access registered property documents and related transaction details. This is expected to allow mutation proceedings to be initiated automatically after registration, reducing the need for citizens to approach multiple offices.
Other expected benefits include improved ownership verification before property transactions, better coordination between departments, more accurate and updated property databases, and reduced scope for discrepancies in official records. Linking property identification with digital records could also help identify duplicate entries and make property-related services more transparent.
The government, according to people familiar with the matter, is preparing to implement the system through pilot projects in select areas. The revenue department will identify a few revenue villages, while the urban development department will select at least one urban local body. The industrial development department may consider the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority or another suitable authority for the pilot. The housing and urban planning department is believed to have identified the Lucknow Development Authority for the exercise.
The departments are also working to identify recognised documents required to establish a seller’s right to transfer a property. In rural areas, khatauni and gharauni records are among the important documents for verifying land and property rights. The housing, urban development and industrial development departments will identify the relevant ownership documents for properties under their respective jurisdictions.
“The initiative is expected to bring different property databases closer together and make registration and mutation more seamless, while reducing procedural delays and the burden on property owners,” Gupta said.
Additional inspector-general, stamps and registration, Sudhir Kumar said the project was also linked to the UP government’s decision to introduce title-based registration of property replacing the existing document based system that had long enabled fraudulent registries and ownership disputes.
“The Cabinet has already passed the proposal in this regard. Now, the Bill will be introduced in the coming winter session of the state legislature for making a law,” he said.
