BENGALURU: In a major push for transparency and efficiency, the survey, settlement and land records (SSLR) wing of the revenue department has decided to fully digitise its operations, allowing citizens to apply online for land surveys, generate sketches and identify property boundaries without having to visit any govt office.
Officials said the department plans to complete the digitisation process by the end of 2026. Once rolled out, applicants can submit survey requests, track their status, and download official documents from anywhere. The move is expected to reduce delays, get rid of middlemen and curb corruption, said Venkat Raja, SSLR commissioner.
At present, the department receives between one lakh and 1.2 lakh survey applications every month from citizens and govt departments. The department has already scanned survey documents, some of which date back to the British era. However, several old records, akarbands and land extent measurements, are not in a readable format. Many entries, especially numerical details, are recorded in Marathi and other languages.
As part of the drive, these records will be converted into accessible digital formats. Accurate land measurements will be extracted from original ‘tippanis’ — key survey documents that record physical measurements and property boundaries. The data will then be integrated into geospatial digital revenue maps to improve precision.
“We are using rover equipment to conduct digital surveys to speed up the process and fix boundaries more accurately,” Raja said. “We are also creating a unique land parcel identification number (ULPIN) for every property to prevent future disputes. There is already an Act banning subdivision of agricultural land below five guntas. Despite this, some individuals are trying further divisions. We have now instructed officials to strictly reject such illegal proposals.”
Officials said ULPIN-integrated maps will be shared with urban and rural development and panchayat raj, forest and other departments. The maps will include river and lake buffer zones, enabling authorities to quickly detect illegal proposals for layouts, industries, or other projects in ecologically sensitive areas.
