NEW DELHI: Delhi has begun assigning a 14-digit unique identification number to every parcel of land in the capital, a move officials describe as a decisive step toward eliminating fraud, double registrations and boundary disputes through a comprehensive digital land record system.
A Unique Number for Every Parcel
In Delhi, residents accustomed to carrying bulky files of property papers may soon find those documents replaced by a single 14-digit number.
The Delhi government has announced that each property in the capital will be assigned a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number, or ULPIN, branded locally as “Bhu Aadhaar.” By entering this number, citizens will be able to access details including ownership, area and land maps without presenting multiple physical records.
Officials have framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to translate the Prime Minister’s “Digital India” vision into administrative practice. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has described the system not merely as a numerical tag but as a structural reform aimed at reducing land disputes and irregularities.
According to the government, the system will make it possible to identify the rightful owner of a property, verify its dimensions and examine its mapped boundaries with precision, all through a digitized platform.
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A Pilot in Tilingpur Kotla
The program has already moved beyond planning stages. A pilot project has been launched in Tilingpur Kotla village in West Delhi, where 274 ULPIN records have been prepared under the trial phase.
In addition to the pilot village, officials said that 48 villages, including rural areas already covered under the central government’s Swamitva scheme, will receive precise ULPIN records. The Information Technology branch of the Revenue Department has allocated ₹132.07 lakh for the implementation of the project.
The pilot is intended to test the technical and administrative framework before expanding the system citywide. Revenue officials have been tasked with integrating existing land records into a uniform digital format, ensuring consistency across urban and rural parcels.
Mission Mode and Administrative Intent
Chief Minister Gupta has directed that the initiative be implemented in “mission mode,” signaling an accelerated rollout. In public remarks, she said the land identification number should be understood as a tool against irregularities and disputes.
Government officials have argued that the reform is designed to address long-standing issues, including forged documentation, the sale of a single property to multiple buyers — commonly referred to as “double registry” — and boundary disagreements.
By centralizing and digitizing land data, the administration says it aims to create transparency in property transactions and reduce the scope for manipulation within land records. Officials maintain that clearer, standardized records will provide greater security to property holders and strengthen administrative oversight.
Mapping the Capital Through Data and Drones
The technical foundation of the project rests on high-resolution geospatial mapping. The Revenue Department’s IT wing has been assigned responsibility for execution, drawing on satellite-based geospatial data and drone imagery.
Officials said the government is working with survey agencies to gather high-resolution geospatial data and drone-based images of land parcels across Delhi. Approximately 2 terabytes of data are being analyzed to prepare what authorities describe as a new, precise digital land map of the capital.
The mapping exercise is intended to ensure that each parcel’s location is recorded with accuracy down to small measurements, minimizing ambiguity over boundaries. The government has stated that such precision would make it difficult for unauthorized encroachments to go undetected.
