The government has generated 3.06 crore property cards across 1.86 lakh villages using drone and geospatial technologies under the SVAMITVA scheme, Parliament was informed on Tuesday, highlighting the growing use of high-resolution mapping tools in rural governance.
The Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme deploys drone-based aerial surveys and a network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) to map inhabited areas of villages with high precision, according to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
The technology-driven process involves generation of high-resolution orthorectified images, geo-referenced mapping, ground verification with local participation and resolution of objections before issuance of property cards by state governments.
Maps prepared under the scheme are at 1:500 scale with accuracy of up to five centimetres, enabling precise demarcation of property boundaries and creation of clear ownership records in rural areas, the ministry said.
The digital property records are expected to support better planning, reduce land disputes and facilitate access to credit through recognised ownership.
Since the launch of the scheme, 31 states and Union Territories have been onboarded. A total of 1,86,298 villages have completed property card preparation, with 30,642,206 cards issued so far, said Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Sing in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
Among major states, Uttar Pradesh leads with property cards prepared in 72,938 villages and 1,14,12,927 cards issued, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 39,474 villages and 65,65,879 cards, and Maharashtra with 22,609 villages and 37,58,310 cards.
Rajasthan reported 15,163 villages and 14,43,423 property cards, Gujarat 10,122 villages and 16,58,089 cards, Haryana 6,260 villages and 25,15,646 cards, and Karnataka 4,930 villages with 10,38,215 cards issued.
Tripura recorded 893 villages with 5,71,783 property cards, while Jammu and Kashmir reported 1,294 villages and 43,910 cards. Goa reported 410 villages with 6,72,646 cards issued.
Several states and UTs, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, reported no property cards prepared as of the reporting date.
