Monday, 26 AUGUST 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand Urban Development Directorate (UDD) has successfully completed 80 per cent of the Geographic Information System (GIS) based mapping of properties in the municipal corporations of Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani and Rudrapur. This initiative is part of the Uttarakhand Public Financial Management Strengthening Project, sponsored by the World Bank, which is currently underway in 14 urban local bodies across the State, the officials said. They informed that under the first phase of the project, the GIS-based property mapping work in Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani and Rudrapur is nearing completion. The survey utilises drones to map residential and commercial properties. Following this, a door-to-door survey will be conducted by the agency and municipal corporation teams to verify the on-site measurements of each property. The mapping covers buildings, establishments and vacant lands, ensuring a comprehensive survey of the entire municipal corporation areas. In the second phase, the project extends to 10 additional civic bodies, including Mussoorie, Pauri, Kotdwar, Chamoli, Gopeshwar, Rishikesh, Roorkee, Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Kashipur. The door-to-door survey has begun in these civic bodies following the completion of the drone surveys. When asked why the GIS mapping of the four municipal corporations, initially expected to be completed by 2023, was still unfinished, the officials clarified that the timeline was only an estimate. They claimed that the municipal bodies encountered challenges, such as obtaining permission to operate drones in specific areas, which caused delays. With over 80 per cent of the work already completed, the officials expressed optimism that the project will be finished soon. They informed that once the survey is completed, all property information will be uploaded to the Nagar Seva Portal of the State Government. This platform will provide instant access to property details with a single click, enabling better management and transparency. They claimed that this project is expected to yield multiple benefits for urban governance and property management by providing accurate measurements and detailed records of properties. It will help detect property tax evasion and marking encroachments. This level of detail will allow authorities to identify any discrepancies, such as hidden properties or undervalued property declarations aimed at reducing tax liabilities.
Besides this, the project will help streamline municipal services for the public. Citizens will be able to check property details, pay taxes, register complaints and modify their details online. These initiatives aim to reduce corruption, ensure fair taxation and prevent encroachment on public lands, they added.
