Miscellaneous Schemes under Ministry of Panchayati Raj

SVAMITVA Scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas)

Background & Purpose

• In rural India, most households live in “abadi” areas (inhabited village land). Traditionally, there are no clear ownership records of houses or plots in these areas.
• This leads to property disputes, difficulty in accessing loans (because no collateral proof), and poor planning for Gram Panchayats.
• To resolve this, the Government launched the SVAMITVA Scheme in 2020-21 as a Central Sector Scheme (meaning 100% funded by the Union Government).

👉 Purpose: To provide an integrated property ownership solution for rural India by creating accurate land records.

Objectives

1. Create accurate rural land records to reduce disputes.
2. Enable rural households to use property as collateral for loans and other financial benefits.
3. Facilitate property tax collection for Gram Panchayats/States, thereby boosting local revenue.
4. Build survey infrastructure and GIS-based maps for multiple developmental uses.
5. Improve Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) using GIS mapping.

Salient Features

• Each village household is given a “Record of Rights” in the form of Property Cards / Title Deeds.
• Coverage Target: 6.62 lakh villages across India.

Key Activities

• Drone Mapping: Survey of India maps village inhabited areas using drones, creating geo-referenced maps with digital property images.
• Property Cards: Based on these maps, State Governments prepare and distribute Property Cards.
• CORS Network: Continuous Operating Reference Station ensures high accuracy in geo-referencing and land demarcation.
• SVAMITVA Dashboard: Real-time monitoring of scheme progress.
• DigiLocker Integration: Beneficiaries can access property cards digitally.
• Gram Manchitra: NIC-funded spatial planning tool for Gram Panchayats.
• Awareness Campaigns: IEC activities to spread awareness in villages.

👉 Essence: The scheme uses modern technology (drones, GIS, DigiLocker) to formalize rural property rights, reduce disputes, and empower Gram Panchayats.

Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)

Background & Purpose

• Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are the backbone of grassroots democracy. But often they face gaps in governance capacity—lack of training, poor financial management, and limited devolution of powers.
• To address this, the government runs the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Union + State share).

👉 Purpose: To strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions by building their governance capabilities.

Tenure & Coverage

• Tenure: 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• Coverage: All States and UTs, including rural local bodies in non-Part IX areas (i.e., areas where Panchayats do not formally exist).

Objectives

1. Strengthen capacities and effectiveness of Panchayats.
2. Promote devolution of powers and responsibilities from higher levels of government.
3. Ensure Panchayats become efficient, participatory, and accountable institutions of local governance.

Special Note

• RGSA does not create new Panchayats—it only strengthens the existing ones.
• Different from Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (Extended): That one (under Ministry of Rural Development) was a campaign for improving service delivery, not a long-term scheme for Panchayat governance.

Essence

RGSA ensures that democracy at the grassroots is not just symbolic but effective. By giving Panchayats better training, planning tools, and support, the scheme makes them capable of delivering services, implementing development plans, and being true agents of self-governance (Swaraj).