Tribals in Jharkhand Opposing Drone Surveys

Gram Sabhas in Torpa and Karra blocks of Jharkhand’s Khunti district have been protesting against Ownership Scheme.

About Ownership Scheme:

• ‘Swamitva Yojana’ or Ownership Scheme aims to map residential land ownership in the rural sector using modern technology like the use of drones.
• SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Area.
• It will create property ownership record of land in villages and empower rural population with grant of official document confirming their ownership of land titles.
• Measurement:The residential land in villages will be measured using drones to create a non-disputable record. It is the latest technology for surveying and measuring of land.
  • Drones will draw a digital map of every property falling within the geographical limits of a village and demarcate the boundaries of every revenue area.
• The scheme will be carried out in close coordination with the Central Panchayati Raj ministry, Survey of India, Panchayati Raj departments and Revenue departments of various states.

Coverage

• There are about 62 lakh villages in the country which will be eventually covered in this scheme. The entire work is likely to be spread over a period of five years.

What was the need of such scheme?

• The need for this Yojana was felt since several villagers in the rural areas do not have papers proving ownership of their land.
• In most states, survey and measurement of the populated areas in the villages has not been done for the purpose of attestation/verification of properties.

What is the benefit of issuing an e-property card?

• Access Credit & Benefits: It will enable rural households to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits. 
• Tax Collection: The database will help in determination of property tax, which would accrue to the Gram Panchayats directly in states where they are empowered to collect such taxes
• Enhances Liquidity of assets: The cards will help increase liquidity of land parcels in the market and increase the financial credit availability to the village.
• Developmental Planning:The scheme will also pave the way for creation of accurate land records for rural planning. 
  • All the property records and maps will be available at Gram Panchayat, which will help in taxation of villages, construction permits, elimination of encroachments, etc.

Why tribal people are protesting?

• Tribal people protested as they were not fully informed about the survey.
• The villagers fear their community land, on which the community have farmed for many generations, will be lost.
• The social, economic, cultural and political strength of the tribal of Jharkhand state is associated with water, forests and land. They have their own separate constitutional rights.