Yojana Magazine Analysis: SWAMITVA Scheme

Context

SVAMITVA Scheme which aims for the holistic development of Gram Panchayat through the empowerment of villages and their residents is running successfully throughout the country.

Background

Considering the lack of Record of Rights (RoR) and absence of survey of inhabited (Abadi) areas in villages, there was a requirement to provide RoR in the form of Property Cards to village household owners utilising the latest drone survey technology across 6.62 lakh villages of India, leading to the conceptualisation of SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme.

About SVAMITVA

• SVAMITVA, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was nationwide launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on National Panchayati Raj Day, 24th April 2021 after successful completion of the pilot phase of the scheme (2020-2021) in 9 states.
• It is a scheme to promote a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.
• The Scheme has the potential to transform rural India using modern technical tools of mapping and surveying.
• It paves the way for using the property as a financial asset by villagers for availing of loans and other financial benefits.
• The scheme will ensure streamlined planning, revenue collection and provide clarity over property rights in rural areas.
• This will open up avenues for applying for loans from financial institutions by the owners. Disputes related to property would also be settled through the title deeds allotted through this scheme.
• The Scheme will cover around 6.62 Lakh villages of the entire country during 2021-2025.
• The pilot phase of the Scheme was implemented during 2020–2021 in the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and select villages of Punjab and Rajasthan.
• Broad objectives of the SVAMITVA Scheme include:
  • Leveraging property as a financial asset by the citizens of rural India.
  • Creation of accurate land records for rural planning.
  • Provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India.
  • Serve as a means of reduction in property-related disputes.
  • Facilitate the determination of property tax.
  • Creation of survey infrastructure and GIS (Geographic Information System) maps that can be used by any department or agency.

Key Benefits

• SVAMITVA Scheme uses the combination of Survey Grade Drones and CORS network (Continuously Operated Reference Stations) to accurately survey large areas in a very short span of time.
• The 1:500 scale maps generated through the drone survey are of very high accuracy i.e., 3-5 ems, which the conventional methodology does not provide.
• Moreover, editable and geo-tagged maps are produced at a fraction of the cost without the need for line-of-sight

How CORS network is helpful?

• Establishment of a Continuous Operating Reference System(CORS network) help in benchmarking the location and provides 5-centimetre level accuracy.
• It supports accurate Geo-referencing, ground-truthing and demarcation of lands. 
• The CORS once established could be used by any State agency / Department viz Revenue Department, Gram Panchayat (GP), Public Works Department, Rural Development Department, Agriculture, Drainage & Canal, Education, Electricity, Water, Health etc. for the survey and implementing/using GIS-based applications.

Benefits to Panchayats

• The creation of accurate land records and GIS maps will support Panchayats in the preparation of a better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
• Gram Panchayats will be able to streamline their property tax determination and collections in States: which they are devolved to them, thus leading to the generation of their own sources of revenue which could be gainfully utilised for various developmental works.

Conclusion

The success of the SWAMITVA scheme would definitely facilitate the monetisation of rural residential assets for credit and other financial services will be empowering the Panchatiraj system and will eventually make rural India Atmanirbhar.

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