Among top 10, Chandigarh leads in Naksha project
Digitises 5,500 land records in just two months
The city is racing ahead in the country’s most ambitious urban land record modernisation drive, emerging as one of the top 10 performing cities among 157 chosen for the Centre’s Naksha pilot programme.
In just two months since field survey work began on December 8 last year, nearly 5,500 urban land records have been digitised and geospatially linked with verified ownership details, out of approximately 7,000 residential and government properties identified under the programme, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav told The Tribune.
Chandigarh’s pace in digitising land records has drawn national attention, with teams from the Union Ministry’s Department of Land Resources (DoLR) visiting Chandigarh twice to review theh progress of the pilot project — and returning impressed both times.
Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria said the recognition at the national level reflected the administration’s firm commitment to building a governance framework that was accountable, transparent and citizen-first. “Naksha is not merely a mapping exercise — it is a cornerstone of our resolve to deliver services to residents with speed, clarity and fairness. Chandigarh’s performance in this programme is a direct reflection of the standards this administration holds itself to, and we intend to raise that bar further,” he said.
What is Naksha
Launched by the Union Ministry’s Department of Land Resources, Naksha — a short form of National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations — seeks to modernise urban land records nationwide by integrating precise property boundary mapping with verified ownership data using advanced geospatial technology. The pilot programme is currently running across 157 cities, with Chandigarh among those handpicked for the initiative.
The programme is structured in three phases. MAP-1 involves drone surveys and creation of a geospatial database. In Chandigarh, this covered 15 sectors — Sectors 2 to 17, excluding Sector 13 — and five villages: Sarangpur, Kajheri, Burail, Attawa and Palsora. The drone imagery and datasets generated in this phase set the ground for MAP-2, the field survey and ground verification stage, now underway.
MAP-3, the final phase, is expected to consolidate and operationalise the digital land record framework, making it accessible for governance and public service delivery.
WHY IT MATTERS
For residents, the programme promises far-reaching benefits. Digitised and geospatially verified land records mean fewer ownership disputes, faster resolution of title-related queries, greater transparency in property transactions and more efficient delivery of government services tied to land and property. For urban planners and administrators, it creates a reliable, real-time data backbone for infrastructure planning and policy decisions.
The Deputy Commissioner said the administration was fully committed to completing the programme on time. With sector-area survey work nearing completion, the field teams will next move to the “abadi deh” areas of the five selected villages, taking the digital land record framework beyond sectors and into the city’s village pockets.
The city’s place among the national top 10 performers in a field of 157 competing cities underscores that Chandigarh is not merely participating in Naksha but is also helping define what successful implementation looks like.
