Every property in Delhi, from village homes and land parcels to flats and commercial buildings, could soon get a unique digital identity under a new land records law planned by the city government.
The Delhi government is set to introduce the Delhi Land Records Bill, 2026, under which properties across the capital will be surveyed and their records compiled on a common digital platform.
Each property will be assigned a Unique Property ID through what the government has described as a "Property Aadhaar Card".
The proposed exercise will cover both rural and urban Delhi. In multi-storey buildings, a separate digital record will be prepared for every floor, according to the Chief Minister's Office.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the system would provide each property with an authenticated digital identity.
"Just as the Aadhaar card has provided every citizen with a trusted form of identity, every property in Delhi will now be given a secure and authentic digital identity," she said.
The Bill is currently in the approval process after a review by a Group of Ministers. The government also plans to convene a special session of the Delhi Assembly in connection with the proposed legislation.
What The Bill Proposes
Under the proposed law, land and property boundaries across Delhi will be mapped through drone-based surveys and digital technology.
The Survey of India will provide technical assistance for the exercise.
Records currently maintained by different government departments and local bodies will be compiled on a single platform, the government said.
Village-wise mapping will be carried out in rural Delhi. The exercise will subsequently be extended to residential, commercial and other categories of property in urban areas.
The government said a digital record would be created for every floor of every building so that individual units in multi-storey properties are also covered.
The project will begin in rural Delhi before being expanded across the National Capital Territory.
Meetings were held with village representatives on Thursday to discuss the survey and documentation process.
Pilot Project In 30 Villages
The first phase of the project covers 30 rural villages under the Centre's SVAMITVA scheme.
The survey and identification work in these villages has been completed, while the related documents are being compiled and SVAMITVA property cards are under preparation, according to the government.
Drone surveys were used to map land and property boundaries during the pilot, with technical assistance from the Survey of India.
The government plans to use the experience from the 30 villages while extending the property-record system to other parts of Delhi.
How The Records Could Help
The government expects the proposed digital records to help residents in matters involving ownership, inheritance, property transactions, bank loans and building-plan approvals.
The records could also assist in resolving property disputes pending before courts and revenue authorities.
"For decades, the absence of a systematic land records system has caused difficulties in proving ownership, property transactions, inheritance, securing loans, building plan approvals and resolving disputes pending before courts," Ms Gupta said.
She said authenticated digital records would reduce ambiguity over property boundaries and ownership.
The government has not yet specified whether the proposed Property Aadhaar Card will itself serve as proof of ownership or function as a unique identification record linked to existing title documents.
Details on the documents required from property holders, verification of ownership, correction of errors and challenges to disputed entries are expected to be set out in the Bill and the rules framed after its passage in the Assembly.
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