The Madhya Pradesh Patwari Sangh on Friday, 9 October 2026, assured Chief Minister Mohan Yadav of full cooperation in executing the Centre's SVAMITVA scheme for rural property registration, ending days of standoff between the revenue cadre and the state administration. The assurance was delivered at a meeting held at Yadav's official residence, Samatva Bhavan, in Bhopal.

What Was Agreed at the Meeting

Office-bearers of the Patwari Sangh met Chief Minister Yadav alongside Ramesh Sharma, Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh State Employees Welfare Committee, and Kuldeep Singh Gurjar, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. The association reaffirmed its commitment to the scheme and pledged that Patwaris would not fall short in discharging their assigned responsibilities.

Yadav shared a photograph of the meeting on social media platform X, quoting the association's position: 'The association's office-bearers stated that all Patwaris remain committed to diligently performing tasks related to the SVAMITVA scheme. They affirmed that, since work related to the SVAMITVA scheme is a priority for the state government, Patwaris would not lag in fulfilling their responsibilities.'

What Sparked the Dispute

The conflict arose after the state government designated Patwaris as executors in registering property ownership documents under the SVAMITVA framework — a role that differs sharply from the traditional duties of sub-registrars. The association objected, citing concerns over potential legal liability in ownership disputes or errors in revenue records, and sought written clarification on the legal provisions governing this expanded role.

Protests spread to several districts, where Patwaris resisted their assigned work, disrupting implementation of the scheme on the ground. This is not an isolated episode — Patwari associations in multiple states have previously pushed back against expanded administrative mandates without corresponding legal protections.

Disciplinary Action and Its Scale

The administration responded with firm action against officials deemed non-compliant. According to reports, 29 Patwaris have been dismissed in recent days, including 15 in Rewa district alone on Thursday. Across the state, 129 Patwaris have been dismissed over the last few days, signalling that the government was prepared to escalate before the Friday assurance broke the impasse.

About the SVAMITVA Scheme

The SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme is a Central government initiative aimed at providing legal ownership rights to families residing on abadi land — inhabited village land. In Madhya Pradesh, the government aims to register approximately 50 lakh rural properties under the scheme at an estimated cost of more than ₹3,800 crore.

Drone surveys and digital verification are used to prepare property records, enabling beneficiaries to establish formal ownership, access bank loans, and avail financial services. Separately on Friday, property documents for 82 beneficiaries across 17 districts were registered under the Chief Minister's Jan Vishwas Abhiyan, according to a state government statement.

What Comes Next

With the Patwari Sangh now on record pledging cooperation, the state government is expected to accelerate registrations. However, the association's core demand — written clarification on the legal scope of Patwaris' executor role — remains unresolved, leaving open the possibility of fresh friction if implementation disputes resurface at the district level.