Delhi to Issue Unique 'Property Aadhaar' for Every Land Parcel Under New Bill
The Delhi government is preparing to introduce the Delhi Land Records Bill, 2026, which aims to give every property in the capital a unique digital identity. The proposed law covers village homes, agricultural land, flats, and commercial buildings across both rural and urban Delhi.
Under the plan, each property will receive a Unique Property ID, described by the government as a “Property Aadhaar Card”. This system is intended to create an authenticated digital record for every land parcel and building unit, including individual floors in multi-storey structures.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the initiative mirrors the Aadhaar card model for citizens. “Just as the Aadhaar card has provided every citizen with a trusted form of identity, every property in Delhi will now be given a secure and authentic digital identity,” she said.
The Bill is currently under review by a Group of Ministers. The government has also announced plans to convene a special session of the Delhi Assembly to discuss the proposed legislation.
What the Bill Proposes
The proposed law mandates a comprehensive survey of land and property boundaries across Delhi using drone technology and digital mapping. The Survey of India will provide technical assistance for the exercise.
Records currently dispersed across various government departments and local bodies will be consolidated onto a single digital platform. In rural Delhi, mapping will be done village-wise. The exercise will later extend to residential, commercial, and other property categories in urban areas.
For multi-storey buildings, the government said a separate digital record will be created for every floor, ensuring that individual units are covered. The project will begin in rural Delhi and then expand across the National Capital Territory.
On Thursday, officials held meetings with village representatives to discuss the survey and documentation process.
Pilot Project in 30 Villages
The first phase covers 30 rural villages under the central government’s SVAMITVA scheme. According to the Delhi government, survey and identification work in these villages has been completed. Related documents are being compiled, and SVAMITVA property cards are under preparation.
Drone surveys were used to map boundaries during the pilot, with technical support from the Survey of India. The government plans to use learnings from these 30 villages while extending the system to other parts of Delhi.
Potential Benefits
The government expects the digital records to help residents in matters of ownership, inheritance, property transactions, bank loans, and building-plan approvals. The records may also assist in resolving property disputes pending before courts and revenue authorities.
Ms Gupta noted that a lack of systematic land records has historically caused difficulties in proving ownership and in carrying out transactions. “For decades, the absence of a systematic land records system has caused difficulties in proving ownership, property transactions, inheritance, securing loans, building plan approvals and resolving disputes pending before courts,” she said.
Authenticated digital records, she added, would reduce ambiguity over property boundaries and ownership.
Open Questions
The government has not yet clarified whether the Property Aadhaar Card will itself serve as proof of ownership or function as a unique identification record linked to existing title documents. Details on required documents, verification of ownership, correction of errors, and challenges to disputed entries are expected to be specified in the Bill and its subsequent rules.
