At the World Economic Forum in Davos, global economist Gita Gopinath emphasised the critical importance of clear and secure land titles for economic development.
She specifically acknowledged Andhra Pradesh’s significant progress in modernising land title systems through the use of advanced technologies.
Her remarks stand as a testament to the visionary leadership of former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and highlight a simple truth: impactful policies and reforms do not need global platforms to be recognised.
In December 2020, then Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the landmark YSR Jagananna Shaswata Bhu Hakku – Bhu Rakshana programme in collaboration with the Survey of India.
For decades, outdated land surveys and incomplete digitisation of land records had been major obstacles to development. The last comprehensive land survey in the region was conducted during the British era in 1929.
To permanently resolve land-related disputes, the Andhra Pradesh government undertook a large-scale resurvey using cutting-edge technology and a Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network to ensure high-precision mapping.
Under this initiative, land parcels are geo-mapped with accurate latitude and longitude coordinates, providing landowners with clear and legally conclusive title deeds.
The resurvey covers an extensive area of over 1.26 lakh square kilometres, including agricultural lands, village plots and municipal areas.
Multiple government departments—such as Revenue, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration and Registration—are involved in the project, working closely with the Survey of India.
In December 2023, Andhra Pradesh achieved Platinum grading under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), with several districts recording over 99% completion in key resurvey components.
In addition, the state received ₹397.72 crore under the Central Government’s Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (2024–25) after successfully completing the first milestone of the rural land records resurvey across 6,680 villages.
Dheeraj Pola, Phoenix, AZ
