New Delhi, July 30 -- In a major push to modernise land administration and curb long-standing property disputes, the Delhi government has announced plans to introduce the Delhi Land Records Bill, 2026, under which every property in the national capital will be scientifically surveyed, digitally mapped and assigned a unique 'Property Aadhaar Card'.
The proposed legislation, which is currently in the approval process after being reviewed by the Group of Ministers, aims to create an authenticated digital identity for every residential, commercial and other category of property across Delhi. The government will also convene a special session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly to table the Bill.
Announcing the initiative on Thursday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the move would transform Delhi's property management system by making records transparent, organised and technologically secure.
"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. This will make property records across the Capital more transparent, well-organised and technologically secure," Gupta said.
The initiative builds on the government's implementation of the Centre's SVAMITVA scheme, under which smart property cards have already been prepared for 30 of Delhi's 48 rural villages using drone surveys, GIS mapping and technical support from the Survey of India. According to the government, 12,232 properties have been surveyed so far, of which 8,423 have been identified as dispute-free, while all surveyed properties in the North West and South districts have been resolved. The digital records will eventually be integrated with the Delhi Online Registration Information System (DORIS) for real-time updates.
Expanding the model citywide, the proposed law will cover not only villages but all urban properties across the National Capital Territory. Every floor of every building will be surveyed and digitally recorded to ensure that no property remains outside the database. The exercise is expected to be particularly significant for Lal Dora villages, where habitation areas have historically lacked authenticated property records, resulting in frequent ownership disputes and legal uncertainties. The government believes digitised land records will bring greater clarity to ownership in these areas.
Highlighting the need for the reform, the Chief Minister said the absence of a systematic land records mechanism had created problems for decades.
"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. With the new system in place, authenticated digital property records will be available, eliminating ambiguity, improving transparency and significantly reducing land-related disputes," she said.
Gupta added that the initiative goes beyond record creation and forms the foundation of Delhi's future digital governance architecture.
"The records, prepared using modern technology, drone surveys and digital mapping, will help deliver more reliable, secure and efficient services to citizens," she said.
She further said that the SVAMITVA property cards are based on advanced digital systems developed with the technical expertise of the Survey of India and drone-based surveys, and "the same technology will now be implemented across Delhi to create a 'Property Aadhaar Card' for every property, ushering in a new era of modern land records management in the Capital."
According to the government, each digital property card will carry a Unique Property ID along with key ownership and land details. A QR code on the card will provide access to authenticated digital records, including property boundaries and related land information, making ownership verification easier and reducing the scope for future disputes.
Once enacted, the Delhi Land Records Bill, 2026 will assign every property in the city a Unique Property ID through its Property Aadhaar Card, creating a unified and authenticated digital land records system while easing property transactions and reducing the burden of land-related litigation.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.