In a major step towards modernizing land record management, the Haryana government has purchased 300 rovers for land demarcation across the state. This initiative, part of the Haryana Large Scale Mapping Project (HaLSMP), aims to bring precision, transparency, and efficiency to the process of land marking, which has traditionally relied on manual methods.
Sumita Misra, the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and Financial Commissioner Revenue, stated that the rovers, procured through the Government e-Marketplace (GEM) portal, have been distributed to all districts and will be used by revenue officials to carry out accurate demarcation with the help of a network of 19 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) set up across Haryana. These GPS-enabled devices will replace the centuries-old chain-based measurement method, dating back to the time of Raja Todarmal.
The HaLSMP is a collaborative initiative between the Haryana government and the Survey of India, covering approximately 44,212 square kilometers of the state’s rural, Abadi Deh, and urban areas. This project builds on the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme and now extends to agricultural lands and properties within Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Misra emphasized the importance of training for effective technology use, saying, "To ensure that field staff can effectively use the new technology, a statewide training programme for Patwaris and Kanoongos has been launched." The training, organized by the Survey of India’s Geospatial Directorate at Chandigarh, began on April 23, 2025, and will continue until May 17, 2025. A district-wise schedule has been circulated by the Directorate, based on a communication dated April 21, 2025, addressed to the Director Land Records, Haryana. District officials have been instructed to be ready with two sets of fully charged rovers along with CORS User IDs and passwords for the training sessions.
Under the new system, land demarcation will be based on satellite imagery, drone surveys, and CORS-based geo-referencing. Updated cadastral maps will be overlaid on satellite data and integrated into the Bhu-Naksha portal, allowing citizens to view and verify land boundaries online. Officials believe this will significantly reduce the scope for land disputes, manipulation of records, and dependence on intermediaries.
In the first phase of implementation, 22 pilot villages—one from each district—have already completed Tatima (land parcel map) updation. Encouraged by the success, the government has identified 440 additional villages for the next phase. The goal is to achieve statewide Tatima updation and integration onto the Bhu-Naksha portal by 2025-26.
The government is also finalizing a uniform fee structure for demarcation using rovers, which will soon be communicated to districts for implementation. Officials noted that the shift to rover-based digital mapping will not only simplify property transactions and land mutation processes but will also enable easier access to bank credit and government welfare schemes. By making accurate, geo-referenced maps publicly available, Haryana hopes to build citizen trust and modernize its land governance system.
Misra concluded, "This initiative will empower field-level officials with modern tools, ensure accountability, and make land management participatory and transparent." The cost of a rover ranges between INR 6 lakh and INR 10 lakh.
Digitally recorded and clearly demarcated plots across Haryana are set to be just a click away—a significant development that will reduce citizens’ dependency on revenue officials and middlemen. The Nayab Singh Saini government is fast-tracking the Haryana Large Scale Mapping Project (HaLSMP), aiming to complete land digitization by the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Recently, the Haryana government selected 22 pilot villages, one from each district, for the digitization of revenue maps. On the directions of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, 440 more villages (20 villages in each district) have now been identified for the next phase of the digitization project. The aim is to complete the project by integrating the data onto the Bhu-Naksha portal by 2025-26.
When completed, the project will ensure that each plot of land in Haryana is clearly demarcated, digitally recorded, and accessible through a centralized online system. This will enable citizens to view and verify their land boundaries online from the comfort of their homes. It will simplify the process of identifying correct plots during property transactions, leading to fewer disputes, smoother land registrations, and faster mutations.
Traditionally, land demarcation has been a manual process, relying on tools like chains, tapes, and revenue maps, popularly known as "tatimas". Conducted by revenue officials—patwaris and kanungos—using field measurements and physical landmarks to define boundaries, this method often leads to inaccuracies, overlapping claims, and disputes. Manual records, which were prone to tampering, were difficult to update and inaccessible to the public, putting a lot of discretion in the hands of revenue officials.
Under the HaLSMP, the state government purchased 300 rovers for land demarcation. These rovers enable precise land marking, facilitated by 19 continuously operating reference stations (CORS). The digitization process allows the generation of accurate geospatial data that can be layered over cadastral maps to identify discrepancies, boundaries, and encroachments with precision.
The updated cadastral maps are being overlaid onto satellite data and integrated with the Bhu-Naksha portal for public access after field validation and village-level verification. The state government has initiated the GIS-based mapping of Haryana’s entire geographical area, which spans about 44,212 square kilometers. Initially focused on the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA), the project now intends to survey all agricultural land and properties under urban local bodies.
