45-year-old city property survey being updated

This is a precursor to the Urban Property Ownership Record Project

BANGALORE, 01/08/2014: Top view of South Bangalore skyline, from Iskcon Hills at Vasanthpura, in Bangalore on August 01, 2014. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

The Department of Survey Settlement and Land Records are all set to update a four-and-a-half decade-old city property survey project.

Though the 1969-1970 city survey was completed, ownership records had not been issued to owners. The project was shelved after the survey of the then city, which had an area of 130 sq km and 1.65 lakh properties, was completed.

The department has now taken up the task of updating the 45-year-old survey in the run-up to the Urban Property Ownership Record (UPOR) Project, which is struggling to take off in the city.

Surveyors from the department have been visiting the properties surveyed in 1969 and issuing notices to the present occupants to submit documents to establish their ownership. A senior official said the department had completed updating ownership records of around 8,000 properties in a year.

The official said the project was taken up to help in the easy implementation of the UPOR project in the city, once initiated. Even though property owners update information in the ongoing resurvey, the properties will be physically resurveyed during UPOR. He said the department faced problems in convincing property owners to part with photocopies of the property ownership documents.

A study in contrast

The 1969-70 survey offers a study of the city’s burgeoning growth. Only the core area of the present city was covered under the 1969 survey.

A senior official said areas like Vijaynagar, Yeshwanthpur, Jayanagar, Indiranagar, Koramangala were the outskirts of the city then.

The city has grown by leaps and bounds. The area under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has now grown to 800 sq km and the number of properties in the city is estimated to be above 20 lakh.

Owners being ‘harassed’

Surveyors in the Department of Survey Settlement and Land Records are reportedly harassing property owners by demanding money to update records.

A property owner said the surveyor was rude and demanded money and even threatened to make adverse remarks on ownership details.

A senior official in the department said the notice given to property owners had contact numbers of officials and they could immediately call to lodge a complaint.