In a notable development aimed at enhancing land ownership rights, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday inaugurated the distribution of property cards under the ‘Swamitva Yojana’ in Hamirpur.

Spearheaded by the Revenue Department, this initiative aims to provide property cards to villagers residing in Abadi Deh areas (inhabited areas) to formalize their land ownership and improve access to official land records.

The Chief Minister marked the start of the scheme by distributing property cards to 10 families from each of the 11 tehsils. In the initial phase, more than 4,230 families across 190 villages are set to receive their property cards.

The primary goal of the Swamitva Yojana is to grant ownership rights to landholders in Abadi-Deh areas, significantly simplifying their interactions with land records.

Implementation of the scheme involved drone-assisted mapping, with 13,599 out of 15,196 Abadi Deh villages mapped across the state.

The Indian Survey Department has provided 16,588 first-level maps for 6,314 villages, including those in Hamirpur district. Additionally, 1,482 second-level maps for 774 villages and final-level maps for 355 villages in Hamirpur have been prepared, with the issuance of property cards already underway.

During the event, Chief Minister Sukhu highlighted that Hamirpur has set a national precedent as the first district to confer ownership rights to families in Abadi Deh areas.

He praised the initiative for addressing issues in Lal-Dora/Lal-Lakir regions and reiterated the government’s commitment to reducing bureaucratic delays. In the past six months, 1.57 million mutation cases have been processed, and a timeline has been established for resolving revenue-related matters.

The Chief Minister also noted ongoing efforts to streamline departmental operations to further reduce public inconvenience.

Sukhu criticized previous government actions, such as waiving electricity bills for affluent individuals, and called for prioritizing subsidies for poorer families.

He urged well-off citizens and hoteliers to voluntarily forgo government subsidies to support state development.

“The state government is also working to improve water quality, with water bill subsidies limited to families earning less than Rs 50,000 annually,” he said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted various welfare schemes aimed at supporting the dairy sector, enhancing panchayat and village-level honorariums, and addressing challenges posed by natural disasters.

He laid the foundation stone for a new State Tax and Excise Department colony in Pakka Bharo, to be built at a cost of Rs 1.82 crore, and inaugurated the Town Bharari-Nandhan-Plassey road, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 5.59 crore.

Local MLA Suresh Kumar praised the state government’s significant land law reforms and proactive measures to improve the state’s economic conditions. He also mentioned ongoing development projects in Hamirpur, including the construction of a nursing college, a new bus stand, and the beautification of Hamirpur market, with a sanctioned budget of Rs. 20 crore.

Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma provided details on the Swamitva Yojana, noting the Revenue Department’s dedication to digitizing services and providing prompt assistance to the public.