SVAMITVA Scheme will strengthen Panchayati Raj system, transform rural India

The SVAMITVA Scheme will help in strengthening the Panchayati Raj system for which efforts are underway for the past six years, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said it will make village management easier for gram panchayats in a systematic way like municipalities and municipal corporations.

PM Modi pointed out that unprecedented level of development has taken place in the villages in the last six years which has not happened in the last seven decades of independence. He listed the benefits villagers got such as a bank account, electricity connection, access to toilets, getting gas connection, having a pucca house and piped drinking water connection.

The Scheme focuses on mapping rural-inhabited lands using drones as land records are inaccurate or do not exit for vast areas across India. Even though 60 per cent of the country lives in rural areas, villagers do not have ownership documents of their homes. This is despite records being kept of agricultural land. PM Modi said ownership of land and house plays a big role in the development of the country. When there is record of property, citizens gain confidence and new avenues of investment open, he explained. Loan is easily available from the bank on record of property, employment and self-employment avenues open. However, the reality of today is that only one third of the population in the world has a record of their property legally.

PM Modi said the property card will clear the way to buy and sell property without any dispute for the villagers. After getting the property card, easy access to loans from banks on their houses would be ensured. Moreover, he said new technology like using drones in mapping and survey, accurate land records of every village can be created. With accurate land records, development-related work in the village will also be easier which would be another benefit of these property cards.