GIS survey faces delay in Amritsar as executing agency seeks extension till Nov

The much-anticipated Geographic Information System (GIS) survey aimed at streamlining property data and boosting municipal revenue in Amritsar is facing significant delays, with the executing agency, Cyber Swift, seeking an extension until November to complete the project.

The company was originally tasked with surveying around four lakh properties across the city by February. However, progress has remained far below target. While the agency claims to have covered nearly 80,000 properties across 23 wards through door-to-door visits, it has submitted verified data for only about 7,000 properties from just four wards to the municipal corporation so far. The survey, commissioned by Punjab Municipal Development and Infrastructure Corporation (PMIDC), was awarded at a cost of Rs 4.05 crore and was to be completed within 21 weeks.

The project was envisioned as a major step toward digitisation and transparency in urban governance. Once completed, the GIS survey is expected to significantly enhance revenue generation for multiple civic departments. Each property was to be assigned a unique identification (UID) number, with owners receiving PVC cards embedded with QR codes. By scanning these codes, officials and property owners would be able to access real-time information on property tax, electricity and water bills, trade licences and conservancy charges.

The system was also designed to help authorities identify defaulters and streamline recovery processes. In the long term, the UID was planned to be made mandatory for property registration and obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs), further integrating civic services.

In a communication to the PMIDC, the company cited several reasons for the delay. It pointed to a lack of public awareness, claiming that survey teams faced poor cooperation during door-to-door visits. Technical glitches in the survey application and the initial absence of Punjabi-speaking staff were also highlighted as key challenges affecting progress.

The delay has raised concerns within municipal circles, as the project is directly linked to enhancing the financial capacity of the civic body and enabling data-driven urban planning. “The timely completion of the survey could unlock substantial revenue, which is crucial for infrastructure development and service delivery in the city. Now, the municipal corporation awaits a decision from the PMIDC on the revised timeline”, said a senior MC official.