THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Jan 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 65 lakh property cards to rural property owners across 10 states and two union territories as part of the SVAMITVA scheme via video conferencing today.
The property owners in over 50,000 villages across more than 230 districts in 10 states and 2 union territories received their property cards. This initiative, aimed at empowering rural communities, represents a significant step in improving governance and economic stability in villages.
Around 98 % land records digitized in last 7-8 years: PM
Addressing the event PM Modi said, “Today is a very historic day for the villages of the country, for the rural economy. The ownership scheme was started 5 years ago so that people living in villages can be given their legal proof. In the last 5 years, these ownership cards have been given to about 1.5 crore people. Today, more than 65 lakh families have received these ownership cards under this programme.”
“Today our government is trying with full sincerity to implement Gram Swaraj on the ground. With the ownership scheme, the planning and implementation of village development are now improving significantly. Now, with the availability of property rights, the problems of the Gram Panchayats will be resolved and they will also become financially empowered,” he added.
“In the last 7-8 years, about 98 per cent of land records have been digitized. Mahatma Gandhi used to say that – India lives in villages, the soul of India is in villages. The work of truly implementing this sentiment of revered Bapu has been done in the last decade,” he further stated.
BJP National President JP Nadda attended the program in Ahmedabad and emphasized the government’s commitment to uplifting marginalized communities. He noted that the SVAMITVA scheme has utilized technology to cover over 3 lakh villages, significantly advancing rural development.
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What is SVAMITVA scheme?
The SVAMITVA scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas), launched in 2020 on National Panchayati Raj Day, focuses on providing property ownership rights to rural households in inhabited areas using advanced drone and GIS technology.
By offering accurate property records, the scheme has successfully reduced land disputes, improved property valuation, and facilitated access to institutional credit for rural residents.
This initiative has also paved the way for comprehensive village-level planning by enabling better property tax assessments and reducing conflicts over land ownership.
The scheme has reached full implementation in Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tripura, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, with extensive drone surveys completed in states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, as well as various Union Territories.
