The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) announced on Wednesday that rural residential assets worth ₹1.37 lakh crore can be leveraged to access credit through the SVAMITVA scheme. This initiative involves drone-based surveys to demarcate properties in rural inhabited areas.
The ministry highlighted that, historically, many villages in several states lacked mapped inhabited areas, limiting residents’ access to institutional credit. Following the implementation of the SVAMITVA scheme, property owners can now secure bank loans using property cards, which provide a legal foundation for their ownership.
Launched in 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the SVAMITVA scheme aims to drive economic progress in rural areas by surveying and mapping villages using advanced technology. To date, approximately 317,000 villages—92% of the targeted 344,000—have been surveyed, and property cards have been distributed in 136,000 villages. On December 27, PM Modi will inaugurate the distribution of an additional five million property cards across India.
Quoting Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, Panchayati Raj Ministry Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj explained that “capitalism often struggles in developing countries due to unclear land ownership.” He linked this observation to the SVAMITVA scheme, noting that many rural residents previously couldn’t access bank loans due to undefined property rights. “Even at the lowest market rates, these properties are valued at ₹1.37 lakh crore, with the actual value likely being higher,” Bharadwaj said.
Beyond financial inclusion, the scheme has facilitated dispute resolution, empowered women by enabling individual or joint property ownership, and helped gram panchayats address encroachments. It has also supported better planning for community development by identifying open spaces and other resources.
