Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the distribution of e-property cards under the ‘SVAMITVA’ scheme on the National Panchayati Raj Day in a virtual event.

As many as 4.09 lakh property owners were given their e-property cards. It also marked the rolling out of the SVAMITVA scheme for implementation across the country.

What is SVAMITVA scheme?

• The Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme was launched by PM Modi on April 24, 2020, as a central scheme to promote a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.

• The scheme has the potential to transform rural India using modern technical tools of mapping and surveying. 

• It paves the way for using a property as a financial asset by villagers for availing loans and other financial benefits.

• The scheme will cover around 6.62 lakh villages of the entire country between 2021 and 2025.

• The ministry of panchayati raj (MoPR) is the nodal ministry for implementation of the scheme. 

• In states, the revenue department/land records department will be the nodal department and shall carry out the scheme with support of state panchayati raj department. 

• Survey of India shall work as the technology partner for implementation.

• The scheme aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India. 

• The demarcation of rural abadi (inhabited) areas would be done using drone surveying technology. This would provide the ‘record of rights’ to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited rural areas in villages which, in turn, would enable them to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits from banks.

The scheme seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• Bring financial stability to the citizens in rural India by enabling them to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.

• Creation of accurate land records for rural planning.

• Determination of property tax, which would accrue to the Gram Panchayats directly in states where it is devolved or else, add to the state exchequer.

• Creation of survey infrastructure and GIS maps that can be leveraged by any department for their use.

• To support in preparation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) by making use of GIS maps.

• Reduce property related disputes and legal cases

• The pilot phase of the scheme was implemented during 2020-2021 in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and select villages of Punjab and Rajasthan.

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