Property owners and buyers in areas falling under Land and Development Office (L&DO) such as Connaught Place, Chanakyapuri, Jor Bagh, Golf Links, Vasant Vihar and rehabilitation colonies including Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Patel Nagar and Geeta Colony can access details of land title, current owner and the status online.
The L&DO has put details of nearly 60,000 properties in these localities on its edharti portal which people can use to verify the ownership and other details. This is perhaps the first such exercise by any government entity to put details of all properties under its jurisdiction online.
“When decisions are taken in a transparent manner, the citizen is the biggest beneficiary. Opaqueness leads to doubts in the minds of people. Opaqueness also tends to encourage tendencies that are malafide and many other indiscretions,” housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri said while highlighting how ownership of land, title issues, transfer of ownership have always been mired in controversies.
L&DO is integrating GIS data with the portal to integrate legacy drawings such as maps and lease plans. “This facility will put an end to forgeries as people can get actual record of properties and clarity of ownership will minimise legal cases and disputes. People also have the option to give feedback and raise objections, which will help us to verify records,” land and development officer Amit Kataria.
He said the online facility, developed after compiling details over the past year, will also help the government to use vacant land efficiently and also identify properties that have been encroached. Sources said the initiative will help improve India’s ranking in the Ease of Doing Business.
