Self-survey of lands to begin on web platform first

The government’s ambitious plan to allow citizens to draw their own boundaries within their lands will not be available in the form of a mobile app just yet as authorities want the facility to start on a web platform first.

Commissioner for Survey, Settlement & Land Records Munish Moudgil told DH that the online application - Swavlambi - will be made public early next week.

The self-survey facility will be available for lands under single, multiple and joint ownership.

Also Read | Karnataka: Now, citizens can survey land on their own

Citizens can use Swavlambi for 11E sketch, Tatkal Phodi, pre-conversion sketch and partition deed.

In what promises to be a major reform, Karnataka has issued an order allowing citizens to survey their lands on their own without having to wait for a licensed or government-employed surveyor. Karnataka has 2.5 crore landholdings or plots. A survey becomes necessary when a plot has multiple owners and the boundaries need to be determined.

DH had reported in September 2021 that the government was working on a plan to allow citizens to draw their own boundaries inside properties.

Explaining how Swavlambi will work, Moudgil said: “The citizen will apply for a sketch of his survey number online or at an Atal Janasnehi Kendra by authenticating his identity. The survey department will check that the survey number is his and sends a duly-signed existing sketch online to the citizen. The citizen downloads the sketch (or takes it from nadakacheri) and sub-divide it as per his requirement. Citizen uploads the sub-divided sketch under his own signatures. The survey department will check the sketch and if it is in order and if no objection is filed, then it is approved. The approved sketch is put online, made available in the nadakacheri and other government counters. The citizen can print it and use it.”

According to Moudgil, the government will enable the self-sketch system on the Dishaank mobile app in the coming months. “But that requires more work,” he said. “We have to digitize 2.5 crore records of rights, tenancy and crops (RTC) maps before we can put them on Dishaank for phodi on mobile app.”

Under the new Swavlambi system, Moudgil said the government ensure approvals happen on time.

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