Punjab has mapped over 2.5 million parcels of land. What does that mean? 

LAHORE – The Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) has mapped over 2.5 million land parcels, 688 housing societies, and 3270 square meters of state land in three districts. This work is part of an urban land computerization project designed to improve access to land records, Profit learnt on Tuesday. 

The PLRA made the disclosures in a report to The World Bank’s mission about its achievements in the digitization of land records across Punjab. 

The briefing highlighted that the urban land computerization project builds on previous experiences and technical advancements. With the PULSE project, a geo-portal has been developed, and fees for the transfer of agricultural land have been removed.

The initiative includes compiling and computerizing urban land records, creating computerized maps, and other documents, similar to the process for rural land records. It aims to gather urban land records from relevant institutions and societies, computerize them, and integrate them with aerial maps.

By computerizing both rural and urban land records in Punjab, the PLRA aims to establish a standardized, organized, and integrated land administration system. This system is intended to secure access to records for the public and support government access to data for city planning, housing projects, and landowner rights protection.

The World Bank mission acknowledged the progress on the urban land records computerization and expressed satisfaction with the developments.

The PULSE Project, funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Government of Punjab (GoPunjab), seeks to improve urban land management and access to land for urban development. Activities under PULSE include incorporating existing urban records into the Land Record Management Information System (LRMIS), digitizing deeds and remaining Mouzas, and registering properties systematically.

Further, the project focuses on developing a unified land information system across Punjab, using GIS for parcel mapping, and linking parcel maps to land records. Other efforts include developing a public land inventory, managing state land, and creating a portal for state land to support affordable housing, alongside upgrading ICT infrastructure, creating an integrated land portal, and strengthening the geodetic network. The project also emphasizes project management, policy development, monitoring, evaluation, legal and regulatory support, and public awareness, with social safeguards to ensure the safety of all participants.