Farm records to be digitised in Delhi, CM says will help with payments related to schemes

A digital database of farmland and farmers will be created in Delhi to ensure accurate land records and eliminate discrepancies in schemes related to crop remuneration, insurance and subsidies, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.

Gupta announced the decision to digitise farm records, saying farmers would have a digital identity and a geo-mapped record of agricultural land would be maintained.

The database would be created under the Centre’s Special Assistance to the States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, with funds being released by the central government when defined targets are achieved.

The Centre’s financial assistance will not be a one-time grant but will be provided in phases linked to performance, according to an official statement.

Gupta said the move would ensure accurate land records and eliminate discrepancies in schemes related to crop insurance, compensation, minimum support price and subsidies. “This system will provide farmers with identity, rights and transparency,” she said.

The Delhi government will implement the State Farmer Registry and the Digital Crop Survey, following which financial assistance from the Centre will be released accordingly.

Gupta said the Union government has announced a special assistance package of Rs 5,000 crore for states across the country under the scheme to be given to states that prepare digital records of farmers and farmland.

For the first time in Delhi, manual crop inspection (girdawari) will be replaced with a digital crop survey, she said.

The government is preparing to create a digital farmer registry, develop a complete digital map of agricultural land and initiate a digital crop survey, the chief minister added.

The geo-location of every field will be recorded, photographs of crops will be taken and linked with satellite maps, and an authentic and verifiable record of every field will be created. All agricultural land will undergo geo-referencing, with each field recorded with an accuracy of 20 metres, the statement said.

Gupta said this would eliminate issues such as fake claims, incorrect land area reporting and forged documents, and ensure transparency in crop insurance, compensation, minimum support price and subsidy schemes.

She said the Delhi Government has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the central government as per the conditions of the SASCI scheme.

The Revenue Department has been assigned responsibility for the project, and a special project monitoring unit will be set up to ensure timely completion of tasks and prevent delays in receiving funds.

The CM said the scheme is designed not just around technology but to provide farmers with identity, rights and transparency, adding that the funds received will be used to build a better and more developed Delhi.