THE ROLE OF INVENTORY IN KEEPING RECORDS OF HOUSEHOLD PLOTS IN RURAL SETTLEMENTS

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 208 THE ROLE OF INVENTORY IN KEEPING RECORDS OF HOUSEHOLD PLOTS IN RURAL SETTLEMENTS R.D. Abdiramanov Senior Lecturer, “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17277402 Abstract. The article discusses the challenges encountered in the continuous state registration of household land plots and property rights in rural settlements of the southern districts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, namely, Tortkol, Ellikkala, and Beruni districts. It also presents the results of a comprehensive inventory carried out in 2024 in rural settlements of these districts, specifically in the villages of “Matonat” (Beruni District), “Dostlik” (Ellikkala District), and “Ullibog” (Tortkol District). Keywords: land plots, real estate, region, district, village, household land, settlements, boundaries, and agricultural land. Introduction The state registration of household land plots and property rights in the rural settlements of the southern districts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan is an ongoing process, as a certain amount of household land plots are allocated annually through auctions. In addition, the ownership of existing household land plots and the properties built on them often changes. Furthermore, new immovable properties are constructed on household plots, while existing ones gradually age and depreciate over time. All such changes must be recorded periodically. If this work is organized with these factors in mind, the registration system will undoubtedly provide a solid foundation for the rational use of household land plots. In assessing the level of use of household lands within the boundaries of rural settlements and in developing the necessary organizational and technical measures to improve it, land inventory—one of the primary activities of land accounting plays a crucial role. According to Professors S.N. Volkov and V.V. Denisov: “Inventory is carried out to determine or clarify the location and boundaries of a land plot, to identify unused or irrationally used plots, those used contrary to their designated purpose, or those exploited for unauthorized purposes. The inventory of rural settlement lands is usually conducted as a comprehensive activity, during which data are collected on the quantity and quality of land by directly examining areas occupied by agricultural and other land types.” Thus, the main purpose of inventorying rural settlement lands is to obtain accurate information on the quantity, quality condition, and usage of the land plots in the area, as well as to identify and verify the boundaries of household plots on-site without disputable errors. On the other hand, the main task of this activity is to obtain accurate information about the legal status of the land plot (ownership, permanent use, lease, others), the actual size of the plots, their use in accordance with legally established regulations, their area, location, the nature of land use, the dynamics of quality condition, as well as any restrictions and preservation measures. In general, it should be noted that the inventory of household land plots is a very complex yet highly necessary undertaking. Therefore, conducting inventory work on household lands SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 209 within a settlement requires coordinated participation of the district cadastral agency, state authorities, and the mahalla citizens’ assemblies, as well as the cooperation of land-right holders themselves. To carry out the inventory of household land plots in rural settlements on time and in strict compliance with established technical requirements, it is essential at the initial stage to determine the following:  The purpose and objectives of the inventory of household land plots in rural settlements;  The objects and subjects of the inventory;  The procedures and methodology for conducting the inventory of land and real estate objects;  The timeframes and sequencing of the inventory process;  The composition of participants involved in the inventory process;  The use of high-precision geodetic instruments;  The sources of funding for conducting the inventory of land and real estate objects;  And other relevant factors. It should be emphasized that in irrigated regions, during the inventory of household land plots in rural settlements, it is also necessary to account for objects closely connected with the land itself such as residential buildings, farm structures, irrigation facilities, hydraulic structures, and collector-drainage networks. This is because identifying and assessing the overall condition of such construction objects and facilities enables an objective evaluation of the general state of irrigated land areas in rural regions. We can observe the positive impact of conducting the inventory of household land plots in rural settlements on improving the efficiency of land use from the results of the comprehensive inventory carried out in 2024 in the research areas—specifically in the villages of “Matonat” (Beruni District), “Dostlik” (Ellikkala District), and “Ullibog” (Tortkol District) (Figure 1). Figure 1. Results of the Inventory of Household Land Plots in Rural Settlements (2024) From the data presented in Figure 1, it can be seen that as a result of the inventory work carried out, a total of 25.98 hectares of household land in the three surveyed settlements were found to be either unused for agricultural production or used at a very low level. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 210 When investigating the reasons behind these circumstances, it was revealed that out of the total 25.98 hectares of unused land, 11.14 hectares were underutilized because the owners had grown elderly and their children had moved to other regions, which prevented them from making sufficient use of their household plots. The remaining 14.84 hectares were underutilized because the owners were leaving for seasonal labor migration to neighboring countries each year, from March to November, which resulted in their household plots not being used as required (see Table 1). Table1. Results of the Inventory of Household Land Plots in Rural Settlements (2024) Name of the settlement Total number of households Total householdallocated garden plots, ha Land fully utilized with the help of family members, ha Unused or poorly utilized land, ha Reasons: due to old age Reasons: due to old age due to insufficient labor force Matonat 312 65,52 56,44 9,08 4,60 4,48 Dostlik 366 69,54 58,62 10,92 4,22 6,70 Ullibog 234 47,60 41,62 5,98 2,32 3,66 Total 912 182,66 158,68 25,98 11,14 14,84 Based on the above analytical indicators, it can be concluded that in this region, the local “Tomorka Khojaligi” LLC (Household Farming LLC) and the mahalla citizens’ assemblies, which are responsible for the efficient management of household land plots, should identify unused or underutilized household lands in each mahalla and conduct awareness-raising activities with the landowners to encourage them to lease these plots out on a short-term basis (for example, for one year). It would be advisable for them to provide leadership and oversight of this work during the farming season. At the same time, in assessing the level of land use in rural settlements, it is also necessary to evaluate the various factors affecting it. Among these, an important issue is the need to organize a proper accounting system for household land plots. The fact is that in the southern districts, the land accounting work for household plots located within rural settlement boundaries has not been at the required level. In many cases, small land plots located behind or in front of houses were not recorded as separate land contours. For example, a comparison of the existing records of household lands in “Navruz” makhalla citizens’ assembly of Tortkol district with the results of the comprehensive inventory conducted in 2024 revealed that 4.69 hectares of cultivated land had been left unaccounted for. It was found that these plots mainly consisted of small areas of 0.005–0.006 hectares (50–60 m² each). The results of the comprehensive inventory of household plots conducted in 11 mahalla citizens’ assemblies of this district are presented below in Figure 2. From the data presented in Figure 2, it can be seen that across 11 mahalla citizens’ assemblies, the amount of unregistered or illegally occupied land totaled 89.35 hectares. It was revealed that these land plots had not been subject to land tax collection for nearly 10 years. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 211 Naturally, such a situation has had a significant negative impact on both the efficiency of household land use and the volume of tax revenues collected in the district. According to the 2024 tax rates, the land tax rate for 1 m² of household land in the rural areas of Tortkol district was 860 UZS, which amounts to 8.6 million UZS per hectare of household land. Therefore, the total unpaid land tax for the 89.35 hectares of unregistered land across these 11 mahalla citizens’ assemblies amounts to 768.41 million UZS. For this reason, we consider it appropriate to lease the currently unused agricultural land plots through the established electronic online auction system. Figure 2. Results of the Comprehensive Inventory of Land Areas in the Mahalla Citizens’ Assemblies of Tortkol District, Republic of Karakalpakstan In addition, to improve the efficiency of household land use in the southern districts, implementing a policy based on the principle of “one mahalla – one product” would also yield significant benefits. This approach is highly suitable for rural settlements, as traditionally, household farms within the boundaries of each mahalla in villages have specialized in producing certain types of products, and the landowners of these household farms have already mastered the techniques and expertise required for growing these specific products. For this reason, it is considered appropriate to create all the necessary conditions for cultivating such products. For example, social surveys conducted revealed that the residents of “Matonat” village in the “Shabboz” area have traditionally achieved high yields from carrot cultivation. The residents of “Ullibog” village in “Namuna” area of Tortkol district have experience in fattening livestock for meat production, while the people of “Toza Bogyop” village in the same area are recognized as skilled in cultivating onions and tomatoes. Properly leveraging these experiences will enable more rational and efficient use of household farmland. Accurate knowledge of the actual condition of the land is also crucial for organizing proper land accounting. Only by using aerial imagery and orthophoto plans derived from satellite images can rurally land plots be measured as accurately as possible. Map materials, scaled appropriately, provide precise and reliable information on the size of land plots and the composition of land types used by farmers. In addition, using electronic maps plays a significant role in the inventory process of rural land areas. For locations where no digital maps are available, it is recommended to use digital maps created through field interpretation (field decoding). If necessary, and particularly for SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 212 disputed plots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) can be employed to prepare maps and materials. The research revealed that using digital maps scaled at 1:2000 for surveying household plots ensures better accuracy and efficiency. It is worth noting that the implementation of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Household Farming”, adopted on April 1, 2021, in the rural areas of the southern districts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, where the research was conducted, has played an important practical role in promoting the rational use of these lands and in increasing the production of food products for the region as a whole. Conclusion Based on the above, it can be concluded that organizational and technical measures play an important practical role in organizing the use of household land plots in rural settlements. The timely implementation of these measures plays a crucial role in ensuring that the country’s population is fully supplied with food products. REFERENCES 1. Volkov S.N., Denisov V.V. Land Management in Kyrgyz Republic. Moscow–Bishkek, GUZ, 2014. 2. 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