Property buyers in Delhi may no longer need to visit multiple government offices or fill separate forms for the transfer of their water and electricity connections after purchasing a property with the Delhi government considering a single-window system to simplify the process.
The proposed system is expected to function under the directorate of survey and settlement. HT had reported on June 16 that the government was planning to set up the unified system to manage land-related information and services under the proposed Delhi Land Management Act.
The proposed mechanism will use blockchain technology to maintain secure and tamper-proof digital property records. Officials said the technology is expected to create a permanent digital trail of ownership and transactions, making records difficult to alter and helping reduce fraud and disputes.
Officials said that once a property is registered, ownership details would automatically be shared with relevant agencies, enabling the transfer of water and electricity connections to the new owner’s name without requiring separate applications.
“The move is aimed at reducing paperwork, cutting down the number of visits to different offices and simplifying the property transaction process for residents,” said an official.
According to official estimates, around 120,000 properties are registered annually in the national capital. The Delhi Economic Survey 2025-26 noted that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has around 29,00,000 connections, including 28,15,000 active domestic and 84,000 commercial connections. The city also has around 73,00,000 electricity connections.
Officials said the proposed authority would also maintain records related to court cases involving properties, so that those under litigation or restrained by courts are not registered. Officials said this would help prevent fraudulent transactions and protect buyers from purchasing disputed properties.
Discussions on the proposal are currently underway and the modalities for setting up the authority are being worked out, officials said.
According to an official, the proposal has been sent to various government departments for vetting. Following their observations, a draft cabinet note will be prepared. The entire process could take at least a year to execute.
Atul Goyal, head of URJA (United Residents Joint Action), an apex body of over 2,500 resident welfare associations in the city, said the proposal sounded “promising”.
“If the government has such a plan, it is commendable. Right now, people have to run from pillar to post to get connections transferred to their names,” he said.
However, he said the government should also “ensure that buildings that come up are structurally safe”.
At present, land records in Delhi are maintained by multiple agencies, leading to fragmentation and challenges in accessing accurate ownership and mapping information, said an official. The new directorate aims to address these issues by serving as a one-stop centre for land-related services. However, the Act will not supersede the revenue department, which handles land records, and the directorate will be under the department. The Act was proposed last year after the BJP government came to power.