Ministry of Panchayati Raj | Indian Polity for UPSC CSE PDF Download

SVAMITVA Scheme

Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas or SVAMITVA scheme is a Central Government initiative to enable an integrated property validation solution for rural India.
It was launched on April 24, 2020, which is also the National Panchayat Day. The Nodal Ministry for this scheme will be the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR). 

About the SVAMITVA Scheme

• The full form of SVAMITVA is Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas
• In each state, the Revenue Department / Land Records Department, along with the State Panchayati Raj Department and the Nodal Ministry will work to carry out the objectives of the scheme
• The main aim of the scheme is to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India 
• SVAMITVA Property cards will be provided to the landowners by the Government authorities, under this scheme
• Drone Surveying technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) will be used for demarcation of rural abadi areas
• This will help owners possess their houses in the inhabited areas and use them as an asset for loans or other financial requirements
• The mapping of areas using drones will done gradually is all the villages for a period of 4 years, starting from 2020, and ending in 2024
• Presently, the scheme is only applicable for 6 states: Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
• The scheme is funded by the Central Government of the country and Rs 79.65 crores have been allotted for the pilot phase of the project

What is the SVAMITVA card?

Under the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas scheme, SVAMITVA property cards will be generated for each landowner.
This will help them present an official document to the financial institutions in case of using their land/property as an asset in the future.

Objectives of SVAMITVA Scheme

Given below are the main objectives of the SVAMITVA Yojana: 

• This will bring abut financial stability among the people living in rural areas as the land/property can be used as an asset to get a loan or enjoy any other financial benefit
• Because of lack of knowledge, the land division and records are not well maintained and noted. Through this scheme, the Government intends to create accurate land records for rural planning
• It will help in the determination of property tax, which would accrue to the GPs directly in States where it is devolved or else, add to the State exchequer
• For the use of various Government departments, proper survey infrastructure and GIS maps shall be leveraged
• This will also improve and support the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) by making use of GIS maps
• A lot of legal and property-related disputes are still pending in the rural areas. This project will also help resolve these issues

Need for the SVAMITVA Scheme

The Government is constantly working for the development of the rural Indian population and the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) yojana is also an initiative for the same.

• Once the pilot project is a success, over 6 lakhs rural people will be able to benefit through this scheme
• The ‘record of rights’ would be provided through the land/property registrations done through this scheme
• This would facilitate monetisation of rural residential assets for credit and other financial services

Benefits of SVAMITVA Scheme

• Official documents for the property will be provided to the rural people so that they can use it for further financial purposes
• Through regular inspections, and survey via drones will give the Government and the authorities a clearer idea of the land/property distribution
• A clarity on property rights will be attained through this project
• No illegal attempt to grab someone else’s property in the village will be practised once stricter rules and documents are provided
• The SVAMITVA Property card can also be used as a temporary identity for the land-owners