Govt working to digitise Delhi’s land records: Official

According to the Economic Survey 2023-24, digitisation of land records is poised to improve transparency in land transactions, diminish property ownership conflicts

The central government is working to digitise and consolidate Delhi’s land records as a major issue for development in the capital, an official at the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) said on Tuesday.

A land digitisation programme for urban areas was first proposed in the July 2024 union budget. (File photo)

Speaking at an Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) event in New Delhi on Tuesday, D Thara, secretary, department of capital development, MoHUA questioned why relaxed transit-oriented development (TOD) rules have not translated into more housing supply near metro stations.

“The most important thing being land records digitisation and actually having collated land records in one place. That’s very important. Delhi has a major issue in that space which has to be addressed and which is which we are working on,” she said.

She said the Master Plan for Delhi had been designed to provide specific directions to the real estate sector rather than broad aspirations.

“The first thing which we did was to get the master plan out, signaling to the whole sector as to what we are intending, where and how. This is not a master plan of aspirations, this has specific prescriptions,” she said.

A land digitisation programme for urban areas was first proposed in the July 2024 union budget.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that an IT-based system of property records and tax administration system will improve the financial position of urban local bodies.

According to the Economic Survey 2023-24, digitisation of land records is poised to improve transparency in land transactions, diminish property ownership conflicts, and enhance the efficiency of land management.

Speaking on TOD, Thara said it had remained largely unimplemented and that the government had sought to simplify it. The revised framework permits a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 500 on plots of at least 2,000 square metres with an 18-metre road, with 65% of the permissible FAR earmarked for residential use.

“Partly the regulations were too tight. Okay, we have relaxed the regulations. How is the market responding to it? We can’t keep on harping that it won’t happen, that won’t happen. We have to take that initiative. We are ready to have conversations. Are you ready to have conversations?” she said.

Thara said the potential demand for smaller homes near metro stations should make such development commercially viable.

“Today if you sell a house in Delhi at ₹30 lakh and if it was on a metro. You don’t need to sell 500 square feet. You can sell in 30 square meters (323 sq ft) or slightly more. And people are willing to do it. Huge number of people. Where is the supply? Why isn’t the supply there?” she said.

She added the government has also created a single-window mechanism reducing the need for developers to approach multiple agencies.

Thara also urged real estate bodies to create an umbrella organisation and bring specific cases of delays to the government instead of making general complaints.