Indian officials discuss collaboration on land governance reforms with World Bank experts
New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) The Department of Land Resources Secretary, Narendra Bhooshan, held a discussion here with a delegation of World Bank experts led by the Country Director for India, Paul Procee for developing an India-specific framework for assessing land governance reforms across states, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.
Such a framework could facilitate benchmarking of progress, dissemination of best practices and evidence-based policy interventions in the land sector, the statement said.
The World Bank delegation shared international experiences and global best practices relating to land administration, digital land records, property governance, institutional strengthening and technology adoption.
Discussions also covered opportunities for knowledge exchange, policy research and capacity building.
Bhooshan emphasised that land is one of the most important productive assets available to Indian households and plays a critical role in agricultural productivity, rural prosperity, urban development, financial inclusion and economic growth.
The Secretary said that while land constitutes the largest asset class for a majority of Indian families, its economic potential remains underutilised.
He highlighted the need for modern, transparent and technology-enabled land governance systems that can facilitate secure property rights, improve access to institutional credit, support investment and enhance ease of living for citizens.
Bhooshan underlined the importance of leveraging emerging technologies, including geospatial systems, artificial intelligence, digital platforms and data-driven governance tools, for improving land administration and service delivery.
He also stressed the need for continuous capacity building and learning from national and international best practices.
The Secretary highlighted ongoing initiatives of the Department, including modernisation of land records, survey and resurvey, urban property record creation, watershed development and efforts towards interoperability of land-related digital systems.
He emphasised the importance of creating an integrated ecosystem in which land records can support agriculture, credit delivery, planning and citizen services.
The Department of Land Resources reaffirmed its commitment to working with knowledge partners and institutions for promoting transparent, efficient and citizen-centric land governance systems.
The meeting held on Monday was also attended by Klaus W. Deininger, World Bank Lead Economist; P. Narahari, Department of Land Resources Joint Secretary; Nitin Khade, Department of Land Resources Joint Secretary (Watershed Management) and Punit Kumar, Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs Director, along with other officials.
–IANS
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