The State is lagging way behind in the implementation of SVAMITVA, the Central scheme launched for creation of accurate land records for rural planning.
SVAMITVA (survey of villages abadi & mapping with improvised technology in village areas), was launched in April 2020 with an aim to bring financial stability to citizens of rural areas by enabling them to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other benefits. It also envisaged determination of property tax which would accrue directly to the gram panchayats where it would be devolved or else, added to the State exchequer.
The scheme involves large-scale mapping using drones and establishment of continuous operating reference station. More than two years of its launch, drone flying has been completed in only five villages, out of the more than 12,700 villages, of the State. This is in comparison with 2,823 villages covered in Andhra Pradesh and thousands of villages are already covered through drone flying in several other States like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Telangana did not figure in the list of States which received funds, though nominal, for the implementation of the scheme for which ₹257.08 crore had been released by the Centre till July 28. Minister of State for Panchayat Raj Kapil Moreshwar Patil, in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, said the scheme was being implemented with collaborative efforts of the Union Government, Survey of India, Revenue/Land Records departments at the State level and National Informatics Centre.
Interestingly, a similar scheme envisaged by the Government for digital mapping of the entire State giving latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates to lands is yet to take off owing to financial difficulties. Revenue department officials said that the Government was committed to taking up digitisation of land records and the process would start once the financial situation eases. They however remained tight-lipped when asked about the progress of SVAMITVA scheme in Telangana.
