Understanding NAKSHA: Why Margao’s New Urban Mapping Pilot Protects Property Owners

The Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) will conduct a month-long inquiry under the NAKSHA pilot programme in Margao, Cuncolim and Panaji from 16 July to 14 August 2026. NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) is a GIS‑based urban land parcel mapping initiative launched by the Department of Land Resources under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme. The programme assures that existing land titles and rights of non‑resident owners will not be altered, that it is not a land acquisition or tax drive, and that verification will be done through public windows and guided inspections at the Inspector of Survey and Land Records office in Margao.