SVAMITVA Scheme

SVAMITVA Scheme

News: The government has said that it plans to prepare digital maps of all its 6,00,000 villages and pan-India 3D maps will be prepared for 100 cities under SVAMITVA scheme. So far drone surveys have covered close to 1,00,000 villages and maps of 77,527 villages had been handed over to states.Property cards had been distributed to around 27,000 villages.

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Yojana’:
• Launched on Panchayati Raj Diwas (April 24th, 2020). Last year, it was extended to all states. Earlier, it was launched only for 9 states.The scheme seeks to map residential land ownership in the rural sector using modern technology like the use of drones.The scheme aims to revolutionize property record maintenance in India.The scheme is piloted by the Panchayati Raj ministry.
• Under the scheme, residential land in villages will be measured using drones to create a non-disputable record.Property card for every property in the village will be prepared by states using accurate measurements delivered by drone-mapping. These cards will be given to property owners and will be recognised by the land revenue records department.

Benefits:
• The delivery of property rights through an official document will enable villagers to access bank finance using their property as collateral.The property records for a village will also be maintained at the Panchayat level, allowing for the collection of associated taxes from the owners. The money generated from these local taxes will be used to build rural infrastructure and facilities.
• Freeing the residential properties including land of title disputes and the creation of an official record is likely to result in appreciation in the market value of the properties.
• The accurate property records can be used for facilitating tax collection, new building and structure plan, issuing of permits and for thwarting attempts at property grabbing.
• The need for this Yojana was felt since several villagers in the rural areas don’t have papers proving ownership of their land. In most states, survey and measurement of the populated areas in the villages has not been done for the purpose of attestation/verification of properties. The new scheme is likely to become a tool for empowerment and entitlement, reducing social strife on account of discord over properties.