The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, in coordination with the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR), Government of Goa, has issued an official clarification to dismantle groundless rumours regarding the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA) pilot project. The government has firmly reiterated that all existing property titles, boundaries, and official land records remain completely secure and unaffected by the ongoing mapping exercise.

Executed under the national Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), NAKSHA is a GIS-based urban land parcel mapping initiative designed to enhance town planning, modernize land administration, and optimize public utility layouts across multiple states and Union Territories.

The department clarified that the rights of non-resident landowners and individuals residing abroad are fully safeguarded. Physical absence during a survey visit does not put a property at risk or impact legal ownership rights. The programme framework integrates multiple verification stages and formally notified public viewing windows to ensure full legal protection for absent owners. Authorities emphasized that property ownership strictly follows established legal protocols and existing valid land titles, meaning no third party or neighbour can claim land based on physical presence during a survey.

Furthermore, the public is informed that NAKSHA is strictly a data-mapping exercise and is completely distinct from land acquisition frameworks. The government is not taking over private land through this project, nor is the survey designed to increase local property taxes. It simply documents physical land parcels as they currently exist on the field, meaning ongoing legal and boundary disputes will remain unaffected and will continue to be managed by the appropriate judicial and administrative courts.

Following the successful completion of the physical ground-truthing phase, the formal inquiry process is scheduled to take place from July 16 to August 14, 2026. Property owners are directed to appear before the concerned Inspector at the Office of the Inspector of Survey and Land Records (ISLR), Osia Commercial Arcade, SGPDA Market, Margao, along with documents relating to their property titles. Citizens do not require technical surveying expertise to participate, as appointed officials will provide step-by-step guidance. The department urges citizens to rely only on official channels and actively participate in this transparency drive.

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RC/HR