New Delhi [India], January 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute over 65 lakh property cards to property owners across more than 50,000 villages in over 230 districts of 10 states and 2 Union Territories under the SVAMITVA Scheme, as per an official statement.
The property card distribution ceremony will take place on January 18 at 12:30 PM via video conferencing.
Launched by the Prime Minister, the SVAMITVA Scheme aims to boost the economic development of rural India by providing a “Record of Rights” to households owning properties in inhabited village areas. This is done through advanced drone technology for accurate surveying.
The scheme has become a significant milestone in India’s rural empowerment and governance, helping with property monetization, facilitating access to institutional credit, reducing property disputes, improving property tax assessments, and supporting comprehensive village-level planning.
Drone surveys have already been completed in over 3.17 lakh villages, covering 92% of the targeted areas. Nearly 2.25 crore property cards have been issued across more than 1.53 lakh villages. The scheme has reached full implementation in Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tripura, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. Drone surveys have also been completed in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and several Union Territories.
The SVAMITVA Scheme was launched on April 24, 2020, National Panchayati Raj Day, with the goal of providing property owners in rural Abadi areas a “Record of Rights” using drone and GIS technology. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi virtually distributed the first set of property cards on October 11, 2020.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi also marked the 9th anniversary of the Startup India initiative, celebrating its transformative impact on India’s innovation and entrepreneurial landscape. He praised the program’s role in turning innovative ideas into successful startups, with Indian entrepreneurs addressing global challenges while creating jobs and contributing to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.