BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has mandated the state government to create a unified technological platform using Geographic Information System (GIS) to provide a single, verifiable source for all land-related information.
The court’s directive requires that the platform incorporates a GIS-based foundation, serving as a comprehensive and unalterable map of land parcels throughout the state. It will utilize high-resolution satellite imagery from the Forest Survey of India (FSI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to accurately demarcate and geo-tag all designated forest boundaries in accordance with historical gazette notifications. Additionally, it will monitor forest cover via remote sensing data to assess forest conditions at the state level, as stated by Justice Suraj Govindaraj in a case involving a land ownership dispute between the forest department and landowners in Chikkasane village, Devanahalli taluk.
The forest department asserted that the disputed land had been classified as forest property since 1921, a status confirmed by the High Court after reviewing various documents.
Justice Govindaraj elaborated that this unified map will integrate with land-related datasets from the revenue department’s cadastral maps, the urban planning authority’s master plans, and other public and private land records.
Unique identification for every land parcel
Each land parcel will receive a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN), or ‘Bhu-Aadhar,’ linking all textual, spatial, and legal records to an immutable digital identity. These records will be enabled with QR codes and timestamped for public verification. An automated system will be established on the integrated geospatial platform to process all land-related applications, ensuring real-time verification against the centralized database. Actions involving disputes or litigation will be automatically flagged, preventing registration, the judge noted.
The High Court instructed the land and revenue department to undertake a time-sensitive project across the state to reconcile all historical records, conversion orders, and other land revenue documents.
The department must mandate the use of ULPIN for all land parcels to serve as the primary key for linking all textual, spatial, and legal data for each parcel, thereby enhancing data integrity and averting future discrepancies.
High-level cell for conflict resolution
The High Court also ordered the formation of a specialized high-level cell, consisting of representatives from the revenue department, the forest department, and urban planning authorities, under the chief secretary’s direct supervision. This cell will be the exclusive entity authorized to mediate and issue binding inter-departmental rectification orders for conflicting records, coordinated by regional commissioners.
Establish a robust monitoring mechanism
The department of land resources must ensure linkage between e-courts and land records and registration databases, providing courts with substantial evidence including geo-referenced maps and digital records from the unified geospatial platform. A user-friendly mobile app and web portal will be created for citizens to report environmental violations with geo-tagged visual evidence and documentation.
To facilitate effective implementation of these measures, a robust monitoring framework is necessary, stated the High Court.
