SVAMITVA scheme: PM Modi launches physical distribution of property cards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the physical distribution of property cards to millions of Indians in rural areas. The launch of distribution of property cards under the SVAMITVA scheme was done via video conferencing at 11 am on Sunday. Central government's SVAMITVA scheme aims to provide 'record of rights' to village property owners.

PM Modi interacted with some of the beneficiaries during the event. Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar was also present at the launch event.

WHAT IS SVAMITVA SCHEME

The scheme aims to provide 'record of rights' to property holders. It will be implemented in a phased manner over four years and will eventually cover 6.62 lakh villages across the country. In the pilot phase from 2020 to 2021, 1 lakh villages in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka, as well as a few border villages of Punjab and Rajasthan will be benefited from this scheme.

In what has been touted as a historic move, the scheme will enable around millions property holders to download their property cards through an SMS link that will be delivered on their phones. This would be followed by a physical distribution of the property cards by respective state governments.

Following Sunday's launch, around 763 villages from across six states would benefit from this scheme initially. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of villages in the first round under this scheme at 346, followed by 221 in Haryana, 100 in Maharashtra, 44 in Madhya Pradesh, 50 in Uttarakhand and 2 in Karnataka. SVAMITVA beneficiaries from all the states except Maharashtra will receive their physical copies within a day. Maharashtra would take about a month's time as it has a system in place to recover the nominal cost of the property card.

HOW WILL IT HELP

The scheme will pave the way for rural citizens to use property as a financial asset for loans and other benefits. SVAMITVA scheme also involves the most modern means of technology, which would benefit millions of rural property owners

SVAMITVA SURVEY

All the six states have signed MoUs with Survey of India for a drone survey of rural areas. The states have finalised the digital property card format as well as the list of villages that would benefit from it.

"Different states have different nomenclature for the property cards viz. 'title deed' in Haryana, 'Rural Property Ownership Records (RPOR)' in Karnataka, 'Adhikar Abhilekh' in Madhya Pradesh, 'Sannad' in Maharashtra, 'Svamitva Abhilekh' in Uttarakhand, 'Gharauni' in Uttar Pradesh," said the Centre.

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