Gandhinagar, June 13: Over the past twelve years, the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken significant steps towards rural empowerment, with the ‘Pradhan Mantri Swamitva Yojana’ emerging as a game-changer. For decades, villagers lacked accurate documentation for residential properties, depriving them of legal rights and financial benefits. Today, this initiative not only restores rightful ownership to rural residents but has also positioned Gujarat as the number one state in the country, setting a new historical precedent.
This achievement is particularly noteworthy for Gujarat, as more than half of the property cards issued nationwide during the second phase of the scheme have come from the state.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat has accelerated the ‘Pradhan Mantri Swamitva Yojana,’ presenting a role model for the entire nation. Utilizing advanced drone technology, the state government has successfully created legal property cards for over 1.85 million rural properties.
Since joining the second phase of the scheme in 2021-22, Gujarat has excelled in management, achieving the top position nationally. Data shows that drone surveys were conducted in 58,197 villages across the country, resulting in a total of 3,235,260 property cards. Gujarat alone accounted for drone flights in 14,900 villages and the certification of 11,511 villages, leading to the issuance of 1,850,614 cards.
The success of this initiative is attributed to the excellent coordination among the Survey of India, the Gujarat Revenue Department, and the Gujarat Panchayati Raj Department. Drone surveys and GIS-based mapping have made village planning completely transparent. At the district level, Mehsana (166,504 cards) and Ahmedabad (153,125 cards) are leading the way. Additionally, Kheda, Banaskantha, and Anand have each issued over 100,000 cards. The transparent verification process has nearly eliminated long-standing land disputes and court cases.
This scheme has transformed rural properties into financial assets. With legal recognition, citizens can now easily obtain loans from banks using their property cards. In Gujarat, substantial bank loans of up to 5 million rupees have been approved based on these cards.
As a result, new opportunities for business, education, and livelihoods have emerged in villages, playing a game-changing role in economically empowering women and marginalized communities. To promote the scheme, over 14,000 village assemblies have been organized across the state, realizing the vision of a ‘Digital and Self-Reliant Rural India.’
Leave a Comment