On August 21, 2008 the cabinet approved the proposal of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development to merge two existing centrally sponsored schemes and replace them with the modifi ed scheme of National Land Records Modernization Program (NLRMP). The two schemes being merged are the Strengthening of Revenue Administration & Updating of Land Records (SRA&ULR) and Computerization of Land Records (CLR).

Objective

The main objective of the NLRMP is to develop a modern, comprehensive and transparent land records management system in the country with the aim to implement the conclusive landtitling system with title guarantee.

Scope

All the components and activities under NLRMP shall be taken up in a systematic, ladder-like manner. Two kinds of ladders have been formed.

The primary ladder covers activities for reaching the stage of conclusive titling, and the secondary ladder covers archival purposes and strengthening of the revenue administration.

I. Computerization of land records

a. Data entry/re-entry/data conversion of all textual records including mutation records and other land attributes data
b. Digitization of cadastral maps
c. Integration of textual and spatial data
d. Tehsil, sub-division/district Computer centers
e. State-level data centers
f. Inter-connectivity among revenue offices

II. Survey/resurvey and updating of the survey & settlement records
(including ground control network and ground truthing) using the following modern technology options:
a. Pure ground method using electronic total station (ETS) and global positioning system (GPS)
b. Hybrid methodology using aerial photography and ground truthing by ETS and GPS
c. High Resolution Satellite Imagery (HRSI) and ground truthing by ETS and GPS.
III. Computerization of Registration
a. Computerization of the sub-registrar’s offices (SROs)
b. Data entry of valuation details
c. Data entry of legacy encumbrance data
d. Scanning & preservation of old documents
e. Connectivity to SROs with revenue offi ces
IV. Modern record rooms/land records management centers at tehsil/taluk/circle/block level.
V. Training & capacity building
a. Training, workshops, etc
b. Strengthening of the Survey and Revenue training institutes
VI. Core GIS
a. Village index base maps from satellite imagery, for creating the core GIS
b. Integration of three layers of data:
c. Spatial data from aerial photography or high-resolution satellite imagery;
d. Survey of India and Forest Survey of India maps; and
e. Cadastral maps from revenue records.
VII. Legal changes
a. Amendments to the Registration Act, 1908
b. Amendments to the State Stamp Acts
c. Other legal changes
d. Model law for conclusive titling
VIII. Programme management
a. Programme Sanctioning & Monitoring Committee in the DoLR
b. Core Technical Advisory Group in the DoLR and the States/UTs
c. Programme Management Unit (PMU) in the DoLR and the States/UTs
d. Information, education and communication (IEC) activities
e. Evaluation

Implementation

The district will be taken as the unit of implementation, where all activities under the programme will converge. It has been decided to cover the entire country by the 12th Plan period. Outsourcing to the extent necessary for meeting the critical gaps in technological resources shall be permissible, and the States/UTs may go for the publicprivate partnership (PPP) models in the nonsensitive areas. Initial funding will be provided to the States/UTs based on their perspective plan and annual plan for the first year. However, continued funding will be conditional upon the States/UTs signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DoLR and following its stipulations.

Content management:

All textual data shall be updated and computerized. All spatial data shall also be updated and digitized.

Digitization of maps:

The village maps/ sheets, ladder data or gat maps/tippans/ FMB’s will be considered as the basic input for digitization and mosaicing of the cadastral maps in the States/ UTs.

Survey/Re-survey & Updation of Survey & Settlement records:

For fresh survey, in areas where cadastral maps are not available, the following options are suggested: (i) ETS + GPS (ii) Aerial Photographs + ETS + GPS For resurvey, aerial photography (wherever possible) and ETS + GPS for ground truthing is recommended.

Core GIS:

Seamless integration of spatial data sets, GIS-based queries, MIS integration and imagery overlay to create core GIS for micro and macroplanning and other relevant applications may be undertaken at the Centre level.

Computerization of the Registration Process:

Under this component all the SROs will be fully computerized with adequate hardware, software, process re-engineering, staff training and connectivity with the revenue records maintenance system, banks, treasuries, etc.

Encoding Standards:

UNICODE should be used for data storing and local language display and support. Any database created using ISCII or any other fonts based solution should also be converted to UNICODE.

Modern Record Rooms/Land Records Management Centers:

Support for upgrading modern records/land records management centers with
a. Storage area with compactors for physical storage of records and maps
b. An operational area with computers, storage area network (SAN), printers, etc.
c. Public services area for waiting/reception, etc.

Software development:

In order to have uniformity, standardization and integration, the software development and software maintenance support may be provided by National Informatics Centre (NIC). The source code will be made available to the States/UTs if required. The software may be developed using “open standards and open source systems”.

Authentication Mechanism:

Digital data have given rise to new concerns related to security of the vital database in terms of authentication, access control, roles and responsibilities of various users in affecting changes in the database etc. These need to be appropriately addressed and all the States/UTs must adopt and implement security management system as per ISO/IEC 27001.

Risk Resolution Plan:

State/UT Governments will document a proper risk resolution plan with the help of NIC to handle issues covering hardware/ system failure, short circuit, database crash, irregular backup, system hang, un-readable CD formats, data loss while porting of data, back up media, etc.

Horizontal & Vertical Connectivity:

All the land records offices at tehsils or equivalent locations, registration offices, subdivisions, divisions will be connected via local area network and wide area network in an appropriate configuration based on function and technical requirements in order to integrate the entire land records and registration system.

Technical Support to the States/ UTs and Implementing Agencies:

The necessary technical guidance and hand holding support to the States/UTs and the implementing agencies shall be arranged through the Core Technical Advisory Group created for the NLRMP in the DoLR with members from the national level technical agencies.

Role of the Panchayati Raj Institutions & NGOs:

Gram Panchayats can play a significant role in updation of land records and identification of property owners in the course of settlement operations. Gram Sabha could be involved to facilitate survey/re-survey, wherever necessary.

Monitoring and review mechanism

Monitoring and review committees at the District and Sate level will have to be constituted. At the national level, for sanctioning of projects and monitoring and reviewing of the programme, a Committee has been set up under the chairpersonship of the Secretary, DoLR. The Committee will monitor and review progress of work in the country.

Evaluation

To get the impact assessment and feedback about the actual implementation of the Programme at field level, the DoLR will get the Programme evaluated by reputed organizations.States/UTs are also advised to carry out concurrent evaluation and impact done by in-house teams/experts to assess the on-site progress vis-à-vis deliverables of the sanctioned projects and suggest the measures for improving the system.

Funding

NLRMP will be a demand driven scheme. The assistance of Central Government will be restricted to its share based on the estimated cost approved by the EFC.

Training and capacity building

States are required to draw up a comprehensive training programme to develop their human resources for effective maintenance and sustenance of the NLRMP