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KATHUA: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh said here on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary initiatives seek to empower rural India with cutting edge technology.
Distributing SMAVTVAv Property Cards to the local beneficiaries at DC Office Kathua. The event was organized as part of the nationwide initiative to distribute SVAMITA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) property cards under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, with the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, presiding over the national event.
Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the Government’s visionary initiatives, empowering rural India with cutting-edge technologies and bringing transparency in different fields.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the SVAMITA scheme aims to empower rural families by providing them with legal rights over their property, thus promoting financial inclusion and economic stability.
This initiative is also in line with the government’s vision to enhance rural development and ensure the social and economic upliftment of rural population across the country.
Dr. Singh expressed his strong support for the SVAMITA scheme, emphasizing the immense benefits it will bring to rural areas, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, “the SVAMITA property cards are a transformative initiative that will change the lives of countless families in rural areas. This initiative is a step towards the government’s commitment to empower every citizen, ensuring that even the most remote villages are brought into the mainstream of progress. The people of Jammu and Kashmir will benefit immensely from this program, and it will play a crucial role in enhancing socio-economic development in the region.”
The Minister further emphasized the importance of technological innovation in facilitating these initiatives, pointing to the use of GIS mapping and other modern technologies to streamline the process of land record and digitization. He emphasized that the government’s efforts to incorporate innovative technologies, such as grievance redressal systems and face recognition technologies are steps to improve governance.
Referring to implementation of SVAMITA initiative in Pali village the minister said that the village has been fully converted into an SVAMITRA-enabled Panchayat, marking a significant milestone in empowering people to measure their own land, reducing disputes and increasing transparency. “This initiative represents a clear step toward self-empowerment and digitized property rights, helping create foolproof documents of ownership,” he said.
As part of these initiatives, the government is rolling out high-resolution property ownership cards that serve as crucial documents for obtaining loans and other services.
These cards also enable rural women to independently own and manage property in their own names, supporting their economic and social independence.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted the role of advanced technologies such as satellite imagery and drones in modernizing agricultural practices. The use of drones for farm measurement provides farmers with accurate data on land measurement, crop patterns and water usage, contributing to more efficient and sustainable farming.
Dr. Singh also discussed the implementation of drones for large-scale land mapping for SVAMITA and said that 92% of the task is completed in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that a total of 2 crore 19 lakh cards are to be distributed across the country, with 37,902 cards to be issued in Jammu and Kashmir, including 8,000 in the Kathua district.
“This is not just a technological advancement but a cornerstone of economic empowerment. The integration of this initiative with other government programs is a comprehensive approach to rural development and governance,” Dr. Singh said. Looking ahead, the government aims to achieve real-time monitoring of development parameters through the Aspirational Block program. “Our goal is to uplift aspirational blocks and villages by implementing the governance index at the block level, ensuring sustainable growth from the grassroots,” he added.
Dr. Singh also mentioned various ongoing projects, including the upgrade of the Kathua railway station and to establish India’s first Industrial Biotech Park in Jammu and Kashmir, which will house a research center and manufacturing facilities for biotech products.
Addressing concerns regarding the Jammu-Srinagar railway line, Dr. Singh assured the public that services from Katra to Srinagar will be operational soon, following necessary renovations at the Jammu railway station, expected to be completed in 5-6 months.
Dr. Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to a “Nasha Mukt Bharat” and clean environment initiatives, emphasizing the role of awareness programs, recycling of unusable items and pledges for cleanliness. The event was attended by various local government officials, Panchayat representatives and beneficiaries of the SVAMITA scheme.
