India, Feb. 4 -- State land settlement commissioner Suhas Diwase said that over 40,000 villages in Maharashtra have been surveyed and property cards have been distributed in 16,000 villages under the Centre's Svamitva scheme. The remaining villages will be covered by December 2025.

The central scheme, implemented by the ministry of Panchayati Raj, aims to map rural inhabited areas using drone technology and provide "record of rights" to village household owners. The initiative enables the government to establish clear ownership of property, reducing disputes and increasing economic activity.

In Maharashtra, the scheme has been implemented successfully, with 23 villages merged with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Over 13,300 property o...