Uttar Pradesh proposes space mapping for plots and houses

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary S.P. Goyal proposed geotagging plots and mapping houses through space applications at a Lucknow workshop on 8 October. The Times of India’s 9 October report describes the proposals as ways to provide land-boundary information and strengthen municipal building-tax administration.

Goyal advocated geotagging all plots so farmers and landowners could obtain boundary information and resolve land disputes, according to The Times of India. Sachin Malik’s 8 October report in Touch with World adds that Goyal said changes to land-revenue regulations could be considered if necessary. It does not identify an adopted amendment.

For houses, Goyal proposed using space applications to map properties and strengthen the building-tax system, The Times of India reports. His stated purpose was to improve urban local bodies’ revenues; the report does not establish that mapping has already increased collections.

The two-day Space Applications Adoption Workshop began on 8 October, organised jointly by the Remote Sensing Applications Center, Uttar Pradesh, IN-SPACe under the Department of Space, and the state Urban Development Department, according to The Times of India. The reviewed accounts do not specify a mapping accuracy, satellite system or implementation timetable for Goyal’s proposals.