Prime Minister Narendra Modi  launched the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme. The aim is to enable villagers to use a property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.

SVAMITVA’ scheme will make village management easier for gram panchayats in a systematic way like municipalities and municipal corporations.

The scheme will ensure streamlined planning, revenue collection and provide clarity over property rights in rural areas. This will open up avenues for applying for loans from financial institutions by the owners. Disputes related to property would also be settled through the title deeds allotted through this scheme.

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.

Scheme to map residential land ownership in the rural sector using modern technology like the use of drones.

• Swamitva Yojana is meant to create a record of land ownership in rural areas using modern technology.
• The scheme is piloted by the Panchayati Raj ministry of the Union government and has been launched on April 24 2020, the Panchayati Raj Diwas.
• Swamitva Yojana is aimed to fill the above gap to provide ownership rights to people in the villages. It is expected to go a long way in settling property rights in rural hinterlands and likely to become a tool for empowerment and entitlement, reducing social strife on account of discord over properties.The residential land in villages will be measured using drones to create a non-disputable record. It is the latest technology for surveying and measuring of land.
• The scheme will be carried out in close coordination with the Central Panchayati Raj ministry, Survey of India, Panchayati Raj departments and Revenue departments of various states.
• Drones will draw a digital map of every property falling within the geographical limits of a village and demarcate the boundaries of every revenue area.
• 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.
•  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.