Context
The physical distribution of property cards under the ‘Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas’ (SVAMITVA) scheme was launched recently.
Key highlights of the Scheme
- Svamitva (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme is launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- The scheme aims to map rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods, and is triggered by the fact that land records, especially maps, are either inaccurate or do not exist for vast areas across the country.
What it is aiming?
- It aims to address challenge of lack of data by creating a geospatial database of all rural properties.
- It will enable people in rural areas to use their property as a “financial asset” for taking loans.
- The authorities have targeted the distribution of one lakh property cards by April 2021, the National Panchayati Raj Day.
What would be its significance?
- It will rebuild the homes and people would benefit hugely from land records that identify who lived where, and the boundaries and extent of their land.
- It would be important to build safeguards in the implementation process to ensure legitimate claims of the most vulnerable people are not crowded out by louder, or powerful voices.
- The modernising of the land records is one of the foundational steps towards mending and reimagining broken institutional arrangements.
