New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed over 65 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA Scheme today, benefiting property owners in more than 50,000 villages across 230 districts in 10 states and 2 Union Territories. The initiative was launched via video conferencing, with numerous dignitaries, including state Governors, Chief Ministers, and Union Ministers, in attendance.
In his address, the Prime Minister called the occasion a historic day for India’s rural communities, emphasizing the transformative impact of the SVAMITVA scheme since its inception five years ago. “Over 1.5 crore people have received property cards under this initiative so far, empowering villagers with legal property rights,” he said.
The SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme uses drone technology to map residential areas in villages and issue legal documents to property owners. PM Modi highlighted that legal property rights enhance economic security, reduce disputes, and enable villagers to access credit. “Once property cards are issued nationwide, it is estimated to unlock economic activities worth over ₹100 lakh crore,” he added.
The Prime Minister underlined the broader global challenge of property rights, citing a United Nations study that links property ownership to poverty alleviation. He explained how lack of legal documents often reduces property to “dead capital” that cannot be used for transactions or economic growth.
PM Modi noted that Dalit, backward, and tribal families, who often face illegal occupations and disputes, are among the most significant beneficiaries of the scheme. With property cards, these families now have access to bank loans and other financial opportunities. He further added that the initiative has strengthened local governance and improved village planning by providing precise maps of residential and public areas.
The scheme also supports disaster management, with property cards enabling quicker compensation claims during calamities like floods or fires.
The Prime Minister highlighted a decade of unprecedented rural development, emphasizing key achievements:
- Over 2.5 crore families electrified.
- 12 crore families provided tap water connections in the last five years.
- 8.25 lakh kilometers of rural roads constructed, half of which were built in the past decade.
- Over 2 lakh Panchayats connected to broadband internet.
He also spoke about digitizing land records, with 98% now available online, supported by initiatives like the unique “Bhu-Aadhaar” land identification system.
PM Modi underscored the scheme’s role in empowering women, noting that property cards often include wives’ names, ensuring joint ownership. He mentioned related initiatives like the PM Awas Yojana, under which most houses are registered in women’s names, and the “Namo Drone Didi Yojana,” which trains women as drone pilots, creating new income opportunities.
The Prime Minister reiterated Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that India’s soul resides in its villages, emphasizing that empowering rural areas is essential for national progress. He credited government initiatives over the past decade for lifting 25 crore people out of poverty and expressed confidence that schemes like SVAMITVA will continue to transform India’s villages into vibrant centers of development.
The event was attended by prominent leaders, including the Governors of several states, Chief Ministers of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
