The government of India has initiated a plan to issue a 14-digit identification number for all land parcels, akin to the Aadhaar card system. The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) scheme was launched in ten states in 2021 and aims to be implemented nationwide by March 2022.
Understanding ULPIN
The ULPIN is essentially an Aadhaar for land – a unique identifier for each surveyed plot within the country. This mechanism seeks to prevent land fraud, particularly in rural areas, where land records are typically outdated or subject to dispute. Identification is conducted based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of the parcel, relying heavily on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps.
This approach forms part of the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), which was founded in 2008. Using ULPIN as a tool for land accounting and generating precise statistics, the government intends to develop land banks and progress towards an Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS).
Benefits of the initiative
The ULPIN system’s goals include ensuring singularity in all transactions and keeping land records perpetually current. It enables the establishment of connections across all property transactions and allows land records services to be dispatched through a single window. Additionally, it permits the sharing of land record data among various departments, financial institutions, and stakeholders.
Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme
The DILRMP is a Central Sector Scheme that has been prolonged until 2020-21 at an overall expenditure of Rs. 950 crores. The Department of Land Resources (under the Ministry of Rural Development) has put forth a proposal to extend the programme until 2023-24 to meet its original objectives and incorporate new schemes.
The programme is designed to leverage the common features of land records in different states and develop a compatible Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) nationwide. States can further customize ILIMS to cater to their specific requirements.
About ILIMS
ILIMS is a comprehensive system that includes information on parcel ownership, land use, taxation, location boundaries, land value, encumbrances, and more. Several new initiatives are undertaken under this programme, including the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), ULPIN, linking of revenue courts to land records, and integrating consent-based Aadhar numbers with land records.
NGDRS and its aims
The NGDRS strives to provide a unified software for registering documents and properties across the nation, thereby ’empowering citizens’. The next phase of DILRMP envisages linking land record databases with banks. This will improve service delivery to the citizens while also serving as inputs to schemes from other sectors such as Agriculture, Finance, Disaster Management, and more.
