We started the Svamitva Yojna, We have decided that with the help of drones, mapping of houses and lands will be done in every village of the country, Village people will be given papers of their residential property: PM
Today our government is trying with full sincerity to implement Gram Swaraj on the ground: PM
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 18, 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed over 65 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA Scheme to property owners in over 50000 villages in more than 230 districts across 10 States and 2 Union territories on Saturday (January 18) through video conferencing. Addressing the occasion, he remarked that the SVAMITVA scheme was launched five years ago to ensure that people residing in rural areas receive their property cards. He noted that different states refer to property ownership certificates by various names, such as Gharoni, Adhikar Abhilekh, Property Card, Malmatta Patrak, and Awaasiya Bhumi Patta. “Over 1.5 crore people have been issued SVAMITVA cards in the past 5 years”, said Modi. In today’s programme, he added that more than 65 lakh families had received these cards. The Prime Minister remarked that under the Swamitva Yojana, around 2.25 crore people in villages have received legal documents for their homes now. He extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the beneficiaries.
Elaborating on the Swamitva Yojana, he said it involved mapping houses and lands in villages using drones and providing legal documents for residential properties to villagers. He added that the benefits of this scheme are now visible. Referring to his earlier conversation with beneficiaries of the Swamitva Yojana, who expressed how the scheme has transformed their lives, Shri Modi remarked that they now receive assistance from banks for their properties, and their satisfaction and happiness are evident. The Prime Minister considered this a great blessing.
“India has over 6 lakh villages, with drone surveys completed in nearly half of them”, remarked the Prime Minister. He highlighted that after receiving legal documents, lakhs of people had taken loans from banks based on their property, starting small businesses in their villages. He added that many of these beneficiaries are small and medium farmer families, for whom these property cards have become a significant guarantee of economic security. The Prime Minister noted that Dalit, backwards, and tribal families were most affected by illegal occupations and long court disputes. He remarked that with legal certification, they would now be free from this crisis. He mentioned an estimate that once property cards are issued in all villages, it will unlock economic activities worth over 100 lakh crore rupees. The Prime Minister emphasized the substantial capital that will be added to the country’s economy.
“Our Government is earnestly working to implement Gram Swaraj on the ground”, exclaimed Mr Modi highlighting that the Swamitva Yojana had significantly improved village development planning and execution. He remarked that with clear maps and knowledge of populated areas, development work planning will be precise, eliminating wastage and obstacles caused by poor planning. The Prime Minister noted that property rights will resolve disputes over land ownership, such as identifying Panchayat land and grazing areas, thereby empowering Gram Panchayats economically. He emphasized that property cards will enhance disaster management in villages, making it easier to claim compensation during incidents like fires, floods, and landslides.
Noting that land disputes were common for farmers, and obtaining land documents is challenging, often requiring multiple visits to officials and leading to corruption, the Prime Minister said that to reduce these issues, land records were being digitized. He highlighted that Swamitva and Bhu-Aadhaar are foundational systems for village development. He added that Bhu-Aadhaar provides a unique identity to land, with around 23 crore Bhu-Aadhaar numbers issued, making it easy to identify land plots. “Over the past 7-8 years, approximately 98% of land records have been digitized, and most land maps are now digitally available”, added Shri Modi.
Highlighting the unprecedented efforts that were made in the past decade to improve roads in villages, the Prime Minister informed that since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana by Atal Ji’s government in 2000, approximately 8.25 lakh kilometers of roads were constructed in villages, with nearly half of them built in the last 10 years. The Prime Minister mentioned the Vibrant Village program to enhance connectivity in remote border villages. Emphasising that providing internet in villages has also been a priority, Shri Modi remarked that before 2014, fewer than 100 Panchayats had broadband fiber connections, but in the past 10 years, over 2 lakh Panchayats were connected by broadband internet. He added that the number of Common Service Centers in villages has increased from less than 1 lakh to over 5 lakh in the same period. The Prime Minister noted that these figures represent the delivery of modern amenities and facilities to villages, which were previously only seen in cities. He added that this had not only improved convenience but also boosted economic strength in villages.
“Women’s empowerment has been central to every major scheme over the past decade, recognizing their significant role in building a developed India”, emphasised Shri Modi. He highlighted that initiatives like Bank Sakhi and Bima Sakhi had provided new opportunities for women in villages. He added that the Lakhpati Didi Yojana had made over 1.25 crore women lakhpatis. Shri Modi underlined that the Swamitva Yojana had strengthened women’s property rights, with many states including wives’ names on property cards alongside their husbands. The Prime Minister noted that under the PM Awas Yojana, most houses provided to the poor were registered in women’s names. He emphasized the positive coincidence that Swamitva Yojana drones were helping women secure property rights. He added that the mapping work in the Swamitva Yojana was being done by drones, and under the Namo Drone Didi Yojana, village women were becoming drone pilots, assisting in agriculture and earning additional income.
The Prime Minister remarked that the Swamitva Yojana had empowered villagers, potentially transforming rural life in India. He emphasized that as villages and the poor become stronger, the journey towards a developed India will be smoother. The Prime Minister highlighted that steps taken in the past decade for the benefit of villages and the poor had helped 25 crore people overcome poverty. Concluding his address, Shri Modi expressed confidence that schemes like Swamitva will make villages strong centres of development.
The Governors of many states, Lieutenant Governors of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Chief Ministers of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh and many other dignitaries had joined the event through video-conferencing.
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