Sixteen years after Pune-based economist Prof D C Wadhwa submitted a report to the Planning Commission suggesting a ‘‘guarantee title to land’’— fixing the ownership issue (who owns what and where) — the Government is preparing a roadmap on the crucial aspect of land reforms.

Last July, as chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Sonia Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need for guaranteeing title to land (using Prof Wadhwa’s model), even proposing a Central-sponsored scheme for the purpose.

At a meeting held in Delhi today by the Department of Land Resources in the Rural Development Ministry with the revenue secretaries of all states, the need to move from a system of registration of deeds (a presumptive title) to a system of registration of title to land (a conclusive title) was discussed along with several other issues in land reforms.

Rural Development Secretary Renuka Vishwanathan told The Indian Express, ‘‘All states agreed that there was a case to move to this system. Some states like Andhra Pradesh have already begun studying the various statutes and legislative pieces that need to be changed for this. But we can only do this in states with reasonable level of modernisation in land records. Most states are willing to do this.’’

While a centrally-sponsored scheme for computerising land records was started in 1988-89, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh acknowledged that its implementation was ‘lax’.

‘‘Of the Rs 445 crore allotted, states had spent only Rs 89 crore. Now, comprehensive modernisation of land records will be taken up on an urgent basis, as per the UPA government’s commitment in its Common Minimum Programme.’’ Before moving to a title ownership system, updating current land records is imperative.

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