Lakhs of rural property owners are facing difficulties in obtaining e-Swathu (e-Khata) records due to ongoing technical and server issues. In response, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre announced the establishment of a five-member committee to tackle these challenges.
In a written directive, Khandre highlighted that the e-Swathu applications are pending due to software and server issues. He instructed the formation of a committee led by the RDPR Secretary, D Randeep, which will include the chief executive officers (CEOs) of Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, and Belagavi districts.
This committee is tasked with submitting its recommendations within 10 days, focusing on identifying both technical and legal hurdles, proposing amendments to existing regulations, and suggesting measures for the doorstep delivery of e-Swathu certificates.
This initiative comes amid rising complaints regarding the implementation of e-Swathu 2.0, which was launched on December 1, 2025, to provide digital property records (e-Khata) for nearly one crore Gram Panchayat properties. While the Revenue Department made e-Khata mandatory for property registration starting October 2024, persistent technical issues and legal complications have left countless applications unresolved, significantly impacting property transactions in rural areas.
Due to the lack of e-Khata, property owners are unable to register, transfer, mortgage, or sell their properties, causing delays for legal heirs in obtaining property records.
Khandre has instructed the committee to devise a mechanism for issuing e-Swathu certificates to families residing in Gramathana areas for decades without ownership documents. The committee will also explore the feasibility of conducting house surveys to address such cases.
Another key area of focus includes properties outside Gramathana limits, such as converted and unconverted revenue lands where layouts and buildings already exist. In many instances, Form 11B cannot be issued due to alleged encroachments on government land, including B Kharab and gomala land.
To address these issues, Khandre stated that the government is considering issuing B-Khata to qualifying properties not currently covered by the Gram Panchayat tax system.
Khandre emphasized that the proposed framework aims to facilitate the issuance of e-Swathu certificates for eligible properties while allowing Gram Panchayats to incorporate them into the property tax system.
