Omkar Dattatray
Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi has said that real India lives in villages. Further it is safe and correct to say that India is basically and primarily an agricultural country and economy. PM Modi is translating into practice the Gandhi’s vision of the upliftment of rural economy and thus is his government embarking programs and policies oriented in scientific, technological and innovative ways for the development of the Indian economy in general and rural economy in particular .The distribution of Svamitva cards at a very large scale to the rural residents of India is a step in materializing the Gandhi’s vision of rural economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the master strategist and expert in making innovations for the development of the country and for ensuring the welfare of the people especially the residents of rural India. The distribution of Svamitva cards to a huge number of rural residents numbering over 65 lakh in 50,000 villages is not an ordinary thing but is in fact historical. It will directly benefit the farmers and land owners as well as owners of houses in rural areas as their landed property and houses has been digitized and this policy will result in reduction of the property disputes and lead to comfortable life to the farmers and property holders in rural India.PM Modi while addressing an event to distribute over 65 lakh property cards to property owners in over fifty thousand villages across 230 districts through video conferencing. Terming the property cards distributed under centre’s SVAMITVA scheme a ”guarantee of economic security, ”Modi said these documents once issued in all the villages of the country ,will unlock economic activity worth over Rs 100 lakh crore. Calling it a ”historic day for villages and rural areas of India ,”he said half of the country’s more than six lakh villages had been surveyed by drones under the property survey program which was launched in 2020.He said 2.25 crore in villages have so far received legal documents for their houses under the scheme. Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh said ,”SVAMITVA Schemes consensus -Based Approach Resolves village disputes ,fosters unity .He further added that.” property cards will enable formal credit access ,empower women ,make villages self-reliant .In fact in a historic and transformative moment for rural India, PM Modi recently presided over the largest -ever distribution of property cards ceremony under the SVAMITVA Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj ,empowering 65 lakh rural citizens with legal ownership documents in a single day. Besides some ministers from the union cabinet, there was large participation from citizens as well as Panchayat representatives and officials of line departments across 237 districts ,with 9 union ministers personally overseeing regional distribution ceremonies. The momentous e-distribution ceremony, conducted via video conferencing ,covered more than 50,000 villages across 10 states and 2 union territories ,marking an unprecedented milestone in rural governance and empowerment. The distribution ceremony encompassed beneficiaries from Chhattisgarh,Gujarat ,Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha ,Punjab ,Rajasthan ,Uttar Pradesh, and the UT’s of Jammu and Kashmir &n Ladakh. This remarkable achievement brings the total number of property cards distributed under SVAMITYA scheme to 2.25 crore. It is pertinent to mention that five years ago ,the SVAMITVA scheme was launched to ensure that the people residing in rural areas receive their property cards. Over 1.5 crore people have been issued SVAMITVA cards in past five years. Remarking that 21st century presents numerous challenges ,including climate change ,water scarcity ,health crises and pandemics ,PM highlighted that another significant challenge the world faces is property rights and the lack of legal property documents. He cited a UN study that revealed many people in various countries do not have proper legal documents for their property. He added that the UN emphasized that reducing property requires people to have property rights. 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. Many of these beneficiaries are small and medium farmer families ,for whom these property cards have become a significant guarantee of economic security. The Dalit, backward ,and tribal families were most affected by illegal occupations and long and lingering court disputes. But now with legal documents ,they would now be free from this crisis.PM said that once property cards are issued in all villages in the country, it will unlock economic activities worth over 100 lakh crore rupees .The SVAMITVA cards will minimize property disputes ,enables modernization of assets, enhance livelihood and will foster economic empowerment and economic development in rural India. Union Minister of Panchayat Raj Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh emphasized at the historic event that on the unprecedented scale of the SVAMITVA property cards distribution has reached 237 districts through coordinated physical programs. He underlined that the distribution of 65 lakh property cards marks a transformative moment ,empowering an equal number of rural households with the legal ownership rights. The minister highlighted how SVAMITVA scheme has become a cornerstone of rural empowerment .He particularly praised the Schemes consensus based approach to property documentation ,noting that this collaborative method has significantly reduced village disputes and strengthened community harmony. In fact these property cards would not only facilitate access to banking services and formal credit but also serve as powerful tools for dispute resolution .This scheme has great role in women empowerment ,with many women now recognized as property owners or co-owners ,marking a significant step towards gender equality in rural India. One can opine that SVAMITVA is not just about property rights. It is about making our villages self-reliant and our rural citizens Atmanirbhar. In fact SVAMITYA Scheme will generate new employment opportunities and enable rural entrepreneurship through improved access to financial services .This comprehensive approach aligns perfectly with PM’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, where rural India plays a central role in the country’s progress and prosperity. The SVAMITYA Scheme ,launched by PM Modi on 24TH April 2020,has emerged as a game-changing initiative in revolutionizing rural land governance .The scheme has successfully mapped over 3.17 lakh villages using advanced drone technology ,covering an impressive 67,000 square Kilometers of rural residential land valued at Rs 132 lakh crore. The success of SVAMITYA has garnered international attention ,with India’s innovative land governance model set to be showcased at an International Workshop in March 2025 and the World Bank Land Governance Conference in May 2025.This global recognition highlights India’s leadership in leveraging technology for sustainable development and grassroots governance .In short this scheme will transform and revolutionize the rural economy and rural India. So SVAMITYA Scheme is no less than rural revolution.
(The author is a columnist, social, KP activist & Freelance Writer)