A two-day international workshop is being held here starting Monday, aiming to outline strategies needed to modernize urban land records across India as authorities grapple with challenges, including a lack of standardization, data security concerns, and the fragmented information across multiple agencies.

Besides, issues like outdated infrastructure, resistance to change, and financial constraints which has further complicated the transition will also be deliberated threadbare  at the workshop to be attended by experts from countries such as Singapore, South Korea, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, the UAE, France, the USA, Japan, and Germany.

One of the main agenda of the workshop on “Modern Technologies in Survey-Resurvey for Urban Land Records” to be inaugurated by Union Minister of Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be showcasing of the best global practices in digital land records.

Oragnised by the Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development, the workshop aligns with Budget announcements for 2024-25, which call for an IT-based system to improve property record administration and tax management through digitization and GIS mapping, said the official.

This modernization is expected to enhance transparency, efficiency, and the financial health of urban local bodies while reducing land-related disputes, he said talking about the need for adopting IT mechanism.

The workshop will be attended by various stakeholders, including government officials, urban development secretaries from all states and union territories, international experts, and technology providers. Besides showcasing global best practices, innovative technological solutions, and facilitate pilot project planning for selected urban areas will also be presented at the event.

Notable case studies will be drawn from various successful schemes, including AMRUT and SVAMITVA, Raipur Mapping, Guwahati Property Taxation, Jaipur Mapping, Haryana Space Applications Centre and Directorate General Defence Estates.

The Ministry has been taking steps to modernise land records in all the 28 States and 8 Union Territories of the country under Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), a Central Sector Scheme, since 2016, with 100 per cent funding by the Centre.

With considerable experience in rural land records modernisation, the Department is now extending its focus to create and streamline urban land records. The initiative in respect of urban land records is based on the Budget Announcements 2024-25 in respect of establishment of an IT based system for property record administration, updating and tax administration by creating/streamlining urban land record by digitization and GIS mapping which will also facilitate improving the financial position of urban local bodies, said an official from the ministry. The IT based system for property record administration will enhance transparency and efficiency and support sustainable development and reduce land-related disputes, he added.