Karnataka launches Unified Land Acquisition System to enhance transparency, efficiency

Bengaluru, Sep 29 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Monday launched the Unified Land Acquisition System (ULMS) ‘data module’, a landmark step aimed at bringing transparency, efficiency, and fairness to land acquisition proposals across the State.

The Karnataka Unified Land Acquisition System is a statewide digital platform designed to harmonise the land acquisition process and track litigations related to ongoing and past proposals, the government said.

“The module is developed by the ULMS Project of the Centre for Smart Governance under the eGovernance Department, with guidance and review from an expert committee constituted by the Revenue Department, senior officers, and field officers,” the Revenue Department said in a statement.

According to the department, the module will enable all land-acquiring agencies and departments to enter complete details of land acquisition throughout the process lifecycle.

These include revenue, irrigation, urban development, and infrastructure development departments, as well as the Bangalore Development Authority, Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority, National Highways Authority of India, and Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project.

It will also cover Metro, K-Ride, Karnataka Housing Board, and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board.

“It will also provide real-time information on all land acquisition proposals, with their status displayed on a consolidated dashboard for stakeholders and decision-makers. The system is being enhanced to cover process-based workflows for new proposals in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,” the statement said.

The platform will serve as a single-window digital system for managing the entire lifecycle of land acquisition—from proposal submission to award, compensation, and rehabilitation.

Speaking at the launch, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said, “With Unified Land Acquisition System, Karnataka is setting a new benchmark in citizen-centric governance.” "This module ensures that landowners and affected families are given complete transparency in the acquisition process, while also empowering requiring bodies and officials with a robust digital workflow," he added.

The system balances development needs with the rights of citizens. Further modules with integration of various technologies are being launched in a phased manner, Gowda further said.

According to him, this launch marks the beginning of a phased rollout in which all districts and requiring bodies will progressively adopt the platform, ensuring a standardised and legally compliant approach to land acquisition in Karnataka. PTI AMP SSK