Chhattisgarh Moving Towards Digital and Robust Rural Management: Special Article
Survey Work of Over 96 Percent Revenue Villages Completed
Survey of 19,805 Villages Completed, Work in Remaining Areas Underway at War Footing
The main objective of the Revenue Village Survey Campaign in Chhattisgarh state is to prepare accurate digital records (maps) of land properties in rural areas and to provide citizens with legal ownership (title) of their land/houses. This is extremely effective in reducing land-related disputes and for the efficient operation of schemes. The Revenue Department has successfully completed the detailed survey work of 19,805 villages (approximately 96.37 percent) out of a total of 20,551 revenue villages spread across all 33 districts of the state. This figure is a historic milestone in the direction of land reforms and digital governance in the state.
Survey of 19,805 Villages Completed
The Revenue Village Survey Campaign, conducted with the objective of promoting rural development, land management, and a transparent revenue system in Chhattisgarh state, is moving towards great success. The state has achieved a remarkable feat in the direction of land management and digital governance, under which the survey work of 19,805 villages (96.37 percent) out of the total targeted 20,551 revenue villages in the state has been successfully completed. Currently, only 746 villages (3.63 percent) remain in the unsurveyed category across the entire state. Development processes are also rapidly gaining momentum in these remaining villages, with survey work in progress in 371 villages, while survey work is yet to commence in only 375 villages due to various geographical and administrative reasons.
Survey work in plain and developed areas has been completed almost 100 percent. Survey work of 545 villages in Raipur district, 1153 villages in Mahasamund district, and 694 villages in Rajnandgaon district has been completed almost 100 percent. Similarly, Kabirdham district with 1011 villages, Bilaspur district with 708 villages, Janjgir-Champa district with 450 villages, Sakti district with 465 villages, and Surajpur district with 552 villages have set an example by achieving 100 percent of their targets.
Speed in Work Through Modern Technologies
On the other hand, some work remains due to geographical and technical challenges in the inaccessible and sensitive areas of Bastar division. According to data, Narayanpur has the highest number of 240 unsurveyed villages, followed by Sukma with 111 villages, and Bijapur with 95 villages. However, the department is rapidly advancing the work in these areas through special strategies and modern technologies, with the survey process currently underway in a total of 371 villages.
Benefits for Rural Economy and Farmers
The completion of this extensive survey will usher in a new era in rural areas. With digital and updated land records, there will be a significant reduction in land-related disputes and litigation. Farmers will find it easier to obtain loans from banks, get crop insurance, and avail benefits of government schemes (like Kisan Nyay Yojana). Similarly, transparency will increase in revenue administration, and the role of middlemen will be eliminated.
This effort by the Chhattisgarh government is proving to be the backbone of rural empowerment. According to senior officials of the department, survey work will also commence soon in the remaining 375 villages. The government aims to make Chhattisgarh an ideal state with 100 percent digital and error-free revenue records in the coming months.
Vishnu Verma, Assistant Director Raipur