Giriraj Singh, Minister of Panchayati Raj & Rural Development launched the SMS functionality developed wherein SMS will be rolled out to Elected Representatives (Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies) of respective State / UT informing about the commencement of drone flying in their respective constituency scheduled for survey under SVAMITVA scheme.

The functionality will definitely provide an important nudge to Elected Representatives and will help in the timely implementation of the Scheme.

Giriraj Singh highlighted that the scheme has shown exemplary performance and till now drone flying is completed in more than 1,16,000 villages across the Country with the joint efforts and coordination of the Survey of India and State Government Departments.

The Minister also emphasized the latest technology being used to implement the scheme. SVAMITVA scheme uses the combination of Survey Grade Drones and CORS (Continuously Operated Reference Stations) network to accurately survey large areas in a very short span of time. The maps generated through the drone survey are of very high accuracy i.e. up to 5 cms which the conventional methodology does not provide.

Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the maximum technology intervention in the government system as well as making maximum use of technology for the Ease of Living and empowerment of the rural masses.

Giriraj Singh underlined that proper use of technology has increased transparency and efficacy as well as effective implementation of schemes. He said that when the property records will be prepared by surveying more than 2.5 lakh Panchayats across the country under the SVAMITVA Scheme, then the available data will prove to be very useful in the implementation of many schemes across the country. He said that this data will also prove helpful in providing logistics and other services.

The Minister said that a big positive change will also be seen in the rural economy through the SVAMITVA scheme. In rural areas, youth with an entrepreneurial spirit are starting their start-up ventures and generating employment by getting loans from banks through the property cards received under the SVAMITVA Scheme.

The Minister called on this occasion that all the public representatives should be present on the occasion of drone flying to be held under the SVAMITVA Scheme in their respective area and cooperate in the effective implementation of the Scheme.

On this occasion, Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj said that with the presence of local MPs, MLAs and Panchayat representatives on the occasion of drone flying, the implementation of the SVMATVA scheme will accelerate and this work will be completed within the time limit.

He said that MoUs have been signed with 29 States under the SVAMITVA Scheme. Drone flying has been completed in 1.16 lakh villages and property cards have been prepared in about 31 thousand villages.

Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj made a presentation on this occasion. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Amber Dubey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Nirmalendu Kumar, DSG, Survey of India, Vishnu Chandra, DDG, NIC-GIS and officers of Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Panchayati Raj also attended the launch event at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.