“The Aadhaar for land"

The Centre plans to issue a 14-digit identification number to every plot of land in the country within a year’s time. The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) scheme has been launched in 10 States in the year 2021 and will be rolled out across the country by March 2022.

It is a number that would uniquely identify every surveyed parcel of land and prevent land fraud, especially in the hinterlands of rural India, where land records are outdated and often disputed. The identification will be based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of the land parcel and is dependent on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps. This is the next step in the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), which began in 2008.

Proper land statistics and land accounting through ULPIN will help develop land banks and lead towards Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS). Benefits: Benefits are to ensure uniqueness in all transactions and keep the land records always up-to-date. A link of all property transactions will get established. Delivery of citizen services of land records through the single window. Sharing of land records data across departments, financial institutions and all stakeholders.

All so know 

Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme: It is a Central Sector scheme that has been extended up to 2020-21 at a total cost of Rs. 950 crores. The Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development) has proposed a further extension to 2023-24, to complete its original targets as well as expand its ambit with a slew of new schemes. It attempts to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records, in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country, on which different States can also add State-specific needs as they may deem relevant and appropriate.

ILIMS: The system will contain information on parcel ownership, land use, taxation, location boundaries, land value, encumbrances and many more. New initiatives have been taken under the program like the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), ULPIN, linking of revenue court to land records, integration of consent-based Aadhar numbers with land records etc. NGDRS: It is aimed at providing one Nation one software for registration of documents & properties to 'empower citizens'. DILRMP's next phase will include linkage of land record databases with banks. This will enhance the service deliveries to the citizens of the country, and will also function as inputs to the schemes of the other sectors like Agriculture, Finance, Disaster Management etc.