NAGPUR: The state government has announced that villagers throughout the state will be issued property cards free of charge as part of the Centre’s Swamitva scheme. To alleviate the financial burden on rural residents, the government will also waive the sanad fees for property ownership regularization.
During a review meeting at the Konkan Divisional Commissioner’s office on Wednesday, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule highlighted the state’s aim to simplify the legal ownership process for rural households.
The guardian minister for the Nagpur district stated that the decision will come into effect after necessary modifications to Gram Panchayat Form No. 8. He instructed the Rural Development Department to draft a formal proposal for approval. Minister Jaykumar Gore has pledged full support to expedite the project’s implementation.
Bawankule mentioned that this initiative will help resolve long-standing property disputes in rural areas and enhance legal clarity regarding ownership.
As per officials in the revenue department, extensive digital land mapping and property measurement have been completed statewide using advanced surveying technology, as directed by CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Approximately 39 lakh rural properties were surveyed under the Swamitva scheme, and online processing for nearly 18 lakh property cards has been finalized. The state has also completed updated mapping in about 23,000 gram panchayats.
Villages where the survey has been concluded will now receive final maps and inquiry records at no cost through their gram panchayats. The scheme primarily aims to create precise ownership records by scientifically measuring rural residential properties.
Bawankule also announced that properties located up to 200 meters outside village settlement boundaries would be surveyed and regularized for residential use. This will enable residents to obtain official ownership documents without incurring additional costs.
The revenue department will provide updated details necessary for revising gram panchayat records, including ownership names, final property survey numbers, and land area measurements.
“The administration must ensure that there are no obstacles in implementing the Swamitva scheme,” emphasized the Kamptee MLA.
Launched nationally to modernize rural land records and mitigate disputes, the Swamitva scheme has emerged as a key governance initiative aimed at strengthening property rights and enhancing rural planning.
