Context:
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry (MoHUA) is working on a law – the Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill 2024, that would bring all urban land and building records in the national capital under a single Authority.
Relevance:
GS II Polity and Governance
Dimensions of the Article:
- Major Impediments in Urban Planning in India
- Current Situation in the National Capital
- Proposals in the Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill 2024
- Significance of the Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill 2024
Major Impediments in Urban Planning in India
Lack of Accurate and Usable Maps
- According to the NITI Aayog’s ‘Urban Planning Capacity in India’ report, many major cities in India lack accurate and usable maps, which are crucial for effective urban planning.
Issues with Record of Rights (RoR)
- In some states, RoR is either non-existent or not updated after areas are urbanized.
- Revenue Departments often believe that urban records should be maintained by municipalities or urban development authorities, leading to gaps in crucial land records essential for urban planning.
Alignment of Spatial Plans with Land Records
- The absence of detailed and robust land records poses a significant challenge to urban planning processes and capacity.
- Successful execution of urban planning requires spatial plans to be aligned with accurate and updated land records.
Current Situation in the National Capital
Geographical Spread
- The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi covers 1,483 sq km, with 1,114 sq km designated as urban areas.
Management of Land Records
- Rural land records are managed under the Delhi Land Reforms Act 1954 and Punjab Land Revenue Act 1887.
- However, there is currently no unified urban land and buildings records law or system in Delhi.
- Multiple agencies, including the Revenue Department, NDMC, MCD, L&DO, and DDA, manage different aspects of land records in Delhi.
Proposals in the Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill 2024
Establishment of a Single Authority
- The Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Authority will be established to oversee the creation and maintenance of urban land records.
- Chaired by the Delhi LG, the authority will include officials from DDA, MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, L&DO, and Revenue Department.
Urban Record of Rights (RoR)
- The proposed Bill will introduce provisions for an urban RoR containing comprehensive information on land holders, occupants, owners, mortgagees, and assignees of rent revenue.
Significance of the Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill 2024
Uniformity in Land Records
- Currently, the absence of a single custodian for land records in Delhi results in fragmented records across various governance and planning entities.
- The Bill aims to establish uniform and comprehensive urban land records across all notified urban areas within the NCT of Delhi.
Centralized Authority
- With the enactment of this Bill, the Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Authority will streamline land administration and facilitate property title searches, addressing current inefficiencies.
Constitutional Framework
- Land in Delhi being a central subject under Article 239AA of the Constitution ensures that the proposed law does not alter the fundamental control of land policy in the capital.
-Source: The Hindu
