CHANDIGARH: In a significant step to clarify long-standing ownership issues in village abadi areas, the Chandigarh administration has published the Chandigarh Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Rules, 2026. This framework aims to survey properties, demarcate boundaries, and document ownership rights in the city’s former villages. The rules, announced in the official gazette on July 29, provide an opportunity for residents to voice objections before finalizing entries.
The rules, activated upon their publication, outline the process for determining abadi deh boundaries, surveying properties, and establishing ownership records.
Under the new framework, the administrator can appoint serving or retired revenue officials, local government personnel, or other qualified individuals as survey officers. Their responsibilities will include identifying boundaries, conducting measurements, numbering survey units, and preparing field records.
A local committee of up to seven members will be formed to assist in identifying and demarcating abadi deh boundaries, as well as determining rightful proprietorship. This committee will comprise the mayor or a designee, the local municipal councillor, and, where applicable, a retired armed forces or Central Armed Police Forces officer residing in the area, along with other respected local residents. The rules also ensure representation for women and Scheduled Castes in relevant situations.
Residents to be informed prior to surveys
The administration mandates a public notification process before surveyors enter abadi deh areas. Survey officers will announce visit dates via proclamations, notices in visible locations, and updates to the municipal body. A general meeting will also be convened to explain the survey process to local residents.
Authorized officials may access vacant land at any time, while entries into occupied properties will occur between sunrise and sunset, following advance notice to residents.
The survey will assign consecutive numbers to residential and habitable areas, starting from one. Records will clarify whether a survey unit is a house, shop, street, institutional building, open area, or common property, and residents may submit documents related to boundaries or property types for consideration.
Objections process integrated into the system
Proposed ownership entries will be published in Form B after the assistant recording and resolution officer reviews objections and relevant documents. If a property is subdivided, separate numbers and areas will be recorded for each part.
The survey map and proposed ownership records will be displayed in prominent locations, including cooperative societies, patwar khanas, dharamsalas, community centers, and common religious sites, inviting objections from residents.
Objections can be submitted to the assistant recording and resolution officer in Form C. The officer will address the objections, conduct necessary inquiries, and issue a detailed decision for each case. Any adjustments to area, boundaries, or measurements will be incorporated into the field book.
Once objections are resolved, the final Record of Rights will be compiled in Form D, published, and transferred to the District Collector, with a copy retained by the Patwari.
Defined mutation process
The rules also outline a mutation process to document future ownership changes. Acquisitions through inheritance, succession, purchases, mortgages, or other avenues should be reported to the revenue Patwari and will be recorded in Form E.
The rules validate any surveys and mapping conducted by governmental authorities to identify abadi deh boundaries and delineate units, provided these were executed under directives from the district collector or administrator. Such prior surveys cannot be contested solely because they were done before the implementation of the new rules.
With this notification, the administration has established the necessary legal and administrative framework to convert Chandigarh’s abadi deh areas into a formal record of rights, encompassing surveys, ownership determination, public review, objections, amendments, and future mutations in a cohesive system.
