Pramod Kumar Jha

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS): Many states have signed Memorandums of Understanding regarding the central government's 'SVAMITVA' scheme, slated to be implemented from April next, while others are considering it, a senior central government officer said.

"With the signing of a MoU in Andhra Pradesh, a drone survey has started. Chhattisgarh and Tripura have also signed the MOUs, while Goa, Gujarat, Kerala and Odisha have agreed to implement the scheme, for which MoUs will be signed this month," Union Panchayati Raj Secretary Sunil Kumar told IANS.

"The ownership scheme is still under consideration in Bihar and Jharkhand while no response has been received so far from West Bengal."

Delhi and Chandigarh are outside the scheme's purview due to no panchayati raj institutions there.

SVAMITVA scheme -- which aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India -- was launched by the Prime Minister on April 24, 2020.

The Panchayati Raj Ministry is the nodal agency for its implementation. In the states, Revenue/Land Records Departments will be nodal departments to implement it with the support of Panchayati Raj Departments. The Survey of India will work as a technology partner.

The ambitious scheme of digital mapping in residential areas of villages through drone survey was launched after the success of a pilot project.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has earmarked Rs 200 crore in the Budget for the 2021-22 fiscal for the scheme.

Kumar said that preparations for the scheme's implementation began in November 2020 and letters were sent out to state Chief Secretaries for appointment of nodal officers, signing of MoUs and publicity on district-wise surveys.

In the villages, banks have been giving loans for shops but no loans to build houses. But now, ownership cards will make it easier for people to raise bank loans to build and repair houses and also to get benefit of all government schemes.

On the possibility of disputes over land ownership arising due to the scheme, he said that it was rather helping in settling disputes in rural areas.

"About 90-95 per cent of the disputes have been resolved through the drone survey," the Panchayati Raj Secretary said, adding that the scheme will comply with the revenue laws of the states.

"The districts where the drone surveys will commence have already been told so that even people living outside boundaries of villages can also participate in these activities," he said.