Following closely on the heels of linking bank accounts and
PAN with Aadhaar, the government is now planning to mandate the linking
of Aadhaar with all land records under the Digital India Land Records
Modernization Program (DILRMP).
According to a report in India Today, this is a step in the
direction of exposing benami properties and making land records
transparent.
The quoting of the 12-digit unique identification number
will make it easier for authorities to identify owners. It will easily
reveal if the owner is a benami owner or not. It will also ensure easier
access to bank loan provisions and crop insurance for farmers.
The central government has asked all state governments and
Union Territories to digitise "land records, mutation records, sale and
purchase records from year 1950- of any immovable property (see section 2
of the Income Tax Act 1961 and subsequently amended) including land
(agricultural and non agricultural), houses (independent or Society) etc
by 14 August 2017".
The central government has further written to them saying
that it is considering linking Aadhaar with the ownership of the above
mentioned properties. “The properties which are not linked shall be
considered for appropriate action under the Benami Transaction
(Prohibition) Amended Act, 2016," it wrote.
The letter dated June 15, was addressed to Chief
Secretaries of states and UTs, Additional Chief Secretaries of state and
UTs, Lt Governor Delhi, NITI Aayog. A copy of it was also sent to the
Prime Minister's Office for official record.
Digitisation of land records has already been completed in
states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra. The linking of land records with
Aadhaar will soon follow in these states.
