Centre launches Rs 565.5 crore DILRMP 3.0 to build GIS-based digital land records system by 2031

The Centre on Thursday launched operational guidelines for the third phase of the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP 3.0), committing Rs 565.5 crore for 2026-31 to create an integrated digital land management framework connecting ownership records, cadastral maps, property registrations and other land-related information.

Launching the guidelines, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the new phase would take the programme beyond the digitisation of individual records and towards an integrated land administration system. “Land is not just a piece of soil, it is the pride of our farmers, the blessing of our ancestors and the identity of future generations,” he said.

The programme will be implemented across all states and Union territories with 100 per cent funding from the Centre. Funds will be released in phases based on performance, while implementation will be tracked through a real-time DILRMP-MIS dashboard.

States to develop own ‘land stacks’

A central feature of DILRMP 3.0 will be the creation of state-level “land stacks”, integrating different land-related datasets and digital systems through application programming interfaces, or APIs. These individual systems will serve as building blocks for a federated national land stack, allowing information to work across platforms while ownership and control of data remain with the respective authorities.

The government plans to assign every land parcel a 14-digit Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN), commonly called Bhu-Aadhaar. The identification number is intended to provide each parcel with a unique digital identity based on its geographical coordinates, helping link information held across different government systems.

Full georeferencing of cadastral maps is another major component of the programme. Linking land maps with precise geographical coordinates is expected to help authorities establish parcel boundaries more accurately, improve planning and reduce discrepancies between textual ownership records and physical maps.

The government says the integrated framework can also make it easier for farmers and landowners to access services without repeatedly visiting revenue and registration offices. More reliable and accessible ownership information could facilitate institutional credit, particularly in rural areas where land is frequently used as collateral.

75 registration offices to be modernised

As part of the programme, 75 high-footfall sub-registrar offices will be transformed into “registration seva kendras” modelled on passport seva kendras. The aim is to improve the experience of citizens dealing with property registrations by introducing more streamlined and technology-enabled services.

DILRMP 3.0 will also focus on digitising older information that remains outside existing electronic databases. Legacy land records will be scanned, a registration repository will be developed and revenue courts will be computerised to connect different parts of the land administration process.

Urban land records will receive greater attention through the NAKSHA initiative, which will support detailed mapping and preparation of urban property cards. Urban property documentation has historically remained fragmented in many cities as rapid expansion, informal development and overlapping jurisdictions complicate ownership and boundary records.

Nearly all rights records digitised

The government said earlier phases of DILRMP had already digitised 99.9 per cent of Records of Rights, while 97 per cent of cadastral maps had been digitised. Around 99 per cent of sub-registrar offices have also been computerised.

The third phase seeks to connect these largely digitised but often separately maintained systems. Rather than merely converting paper documents into electronic records, the focus will now be on interoperability, geospatial accuracy and easier delivery of land-related services.

If implemented effectively, the integrated system could help reduce property disputes, improve transparency in transactions and make it harder to manipulate fragmented records. Its effectiveness, however, will depend heavily on the accuracy of the underlying data and the ability of states to reconcile discrepancies between ownership documents, cadastral maps and conditions on the ground.