BALODA BAZAR,CG,INDIA: In a hands-on demonstration of the government's commitment to digitizing agricultural processes, Chhattisgarh Revenue Minister Tankram Verma personally participated in a digital crop survey on Wednesday in the village of Sakri, Balodabazar Bhatapara district.

Walking through narrow footpaths, Verma entered the fields and verified land plots using geo-referencing technology on a mobile device, assuming the role of a surveyor to complete the verification process for Khasra numbers 1150, 1151, and 1152, belonging to farmer Netram Sahu.

Minister highlighted the government's goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized that the use of digital technology in government operations, such as the digital crop survey, reflects this commitment by ensuring accurate and transparent data collection for farmers and authorities.

The digital crop survey involves private surveyors who conduct field inspections using geo-referencing technology. Each surveyor is assigned 30 to 50 land plots per day and must log the crop data, including photos of the crops, longitude and latitude coordinates, and the area of the cultivated land. The information is then uploaded into a mobile app, where it is reviewed by Patwaris, Revenue Inspectors (RIs), and Tehsildars. The process ensures that the crop data is precise, with any discrepancies sent back for correction.

During the survey, crop details such as type, area, irrigation status, and whether it is a seasonal or multi-year crop are recorded. The geo-referenced data must match the total area surveyed for the information to be saved in the system. Any errors, such as mismatches in crop photos or incorrect entries, will result in the data being returned for revision.

The initiative, which differs from the traditional Girdawari method performed by Patwaris, aims to streamline the crop data collection process and ensure more accurate crop procurement, such as paddy, based on reliable digital data.

The survey is being conducted only in villages where geo-referencing has been completed, and it forms part of a larger, multidimensional government plan to modernize the agricultural sector. The software is designed for easy use on Android devices, making it accessible to surveyors in the field.