As the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) prepares to launch its month-long inquiry under the NAKSHA pilot program in Margao and Cuncolim and Panaji city local conversations have been filled with an mix of curiosity and anxiety. Much of this apprehension stems from circulating rumors regarding the safety of land titles, potential boundary changes, and the rights of non-resident Goans. To ensure citizens can navigate this transition with confidence, it is essential to separate groundless anxiety from verifiable facts.

NAKSHA, which stands for the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations, is a modern, GIS-based urban land parcel mapping initiative. Launched by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) Government of India, the program operates under the broader framework of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). Unlike historical rural surveys, NAKSHA specifically leverages cutting-edge technology to create highly accurate digital maps for complex urban and peri-urban habitations across multiple states and Union Territories, ensuring our cities are future-ready.

The most prominent concern among local property owners is whether this new digital survey will alter existing land records or titles. The state administration has addressed this directly with explicit assurances.

Similarly, anxieties surrounding absentee landowners and Non-Resident Goans are entirely unfounded. Being away from the village or residing abroad during a field survey does not put a citizen's property at risk, nor does it cause them to lose their legal rights. The NAKSHA workflow features a highly structured process with multiple verification stages, including formally notified public verification windows, specifically designed to protect the interests of absent owners. Furthermore, legal ownership cannot be claimed by a neighbour simply because they happened to be physically present during a survey session. Property ownership continues to strictly follow legal processes and existing valid titles.

It is also vital for the public to recognize that NAKSHA is neither a land acquisition scheme nor a tax collection drive. The project does not take over private land, nor is it being conducted to increase local property taxes. Its sole objective is to prepare reliable digital land maps that support superior town planning, infrastructure management, and efficient public utility layouts. Existing legal and title disputes will also remain unaffected, continuing to be resolved through the appropriate legal and administrative channels.

Following the successful completion of the ground-truthing phase—where electronic mapping data is verified against actual field conditions—the formal inquiry process is set to run from 16 July 2026 to 14 August 2026. Property owners are directed to appear before the concerned Inspector at the Office of the Inspector of Survey and Land Records (ISLR), Osia Commercial Arcade, SGPDA Market, Margao, carrying their property title documents. Citizens do not need technical survey expertise to participate, as appointed officials will guide them step-by-step through the verification process. Embracing this modernisation drive ensures that your physical property matches your digital record, bringing long-term clarity and security to the entire community.

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RC/HR