Land is the most valuable natural resource whose planning and development offer major prospects for increases in output and incomes for the people, especially for those who are near or below the poverty line. For efficient land planning and optimum use, it is essential that there be clarity and certainty about title to land. In India land records are in very poor shape and there is maximum litigation in rural and urban areas about ownership. It has been estimated by reputed agencies that India loses 1.3 per cent economic growth annually as a result of disputed land titles, which inhibit supply of capital and credit for agriculture. It is therefore exceedingly important that a fundamental change is brought about in the way land records are maintained. The conversion of the present system of presumptive titles to land into conclusive titles is the only sensible solution of this problem. Bold political direction alone can bring about reform of this magnitude which will bring our country in the mainstream of a worldwide trend, enhance the marketability of land, reduce the stupendous social cost of litigation and give a boost to agricultural production and urban and industrial development.
