Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Second dawn for land reforms....Saga of Land Reforms from PV to KCR: Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Second dawn for land reforms
(Telangana Today: 30th August 2017)
Saga of Land Reforms from PV to KCR
(The Hans India: 30th August 2017)
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
            It was exactly 45 years ago, on August 30, 1972 the then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Late PV Narasimha Rao while introducing the historic land reforms bill in the state legislative assembly spoke eloquently. His views expressed while participating in the debate reflected his strong commitment to land reforms. If they are read with the data on land holdings made public by the government of Telangana against the background of the proposed survey settlement and rectification of land records in accordance with the thought process of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, interesting aspects will come to light. If at all there is one single benefit that had accrued during the erstwhile rule that could perhaps be the land reforms pioneered by PV who happened to be from Telangana. If the marginal, small, semi-medium and medium holdings account for 97% in Telangana today, the roots are in PV’s land reforms!

            Land reforms came in to force on first June 1973. Prior to the introduction of the Bill in the Assembly on 30th August 1972 an Ordinance was proclaimed in May 1972. The land legislation and its implementation envisaged among other things, redistribution of rights and interests in land in favour of the landless poor and thereby reduce the inequalities in the ownership of land; fixing of ceiling to each family unit; distribution of government land to the poor; distribution of surplus land which was hitherto in the hands of landlords to the weaker sections for agricultural purposes and house sites; better prospect for agricultural labour and democratizing and improving the socio-economic base of the rural society.


Introducing the revolutionary and historical land reforms Bill in the then State Assembly PV exhibited his authority on many features of the bill, touching upon several interesting and challenging characteristics that echo his statesmanship, his all-round knowledge on land related issues and issues related to politico-socio-economic facets. In the process PV mentioned about personnel committed to secure social justice to implement land reforms; about designated role to the High Courts in minimizing injustice to aggrieved persons; about "Stridhana" or the property held by a woman provided for in the “Dayabhage" and "Mitakshara" schools;  about providing due compensation to farmers who would lose holdings under the ceiling;  distribution of land to SCs and STs and to the backward classes: about constituting tribunals and about the need to bring an ordinance in advance.

PV said that he started the implementation process of the land ceiling since May 1972 by way of bringing an ordinance. It was a preventive action said PV, so that, implementation later is not defeated. PV said that the object of the bill is to delimit of acquisitions of agricultural holdings and to prevent the big land lords from transferring large agricultural holdings in different names including their cats and dogs and other domestic animals to escape the proposed agricultural lands ceiling act. He said he has already discussed this ordinance with several important people, and they have agreed, in turn, that, this bill is very much necessary to curb, the above-mentioned practices.


In the Legislative Assembly PV said that, “the seeds of land reforms were sown as long ago as the days of Ramayana. The interest and personal attention bestowed by a small farmer on a small piece of land is much better than that of a land lord. Land reforms Act, with so many dimensions and ramifications cannot be brought by sitting at home but needs a state-wide dialogue. At the same time, consuming time on unnecessary, discussions will also help the land lord to circumvent the Act. Otherwise dogs and cats will also get a share in the land lord’s property. Hence an ordinance became necessary to avoid further damage. The bill is not aimed at taking revenge on anybody or not to put any body to loss. This is only to bring equality in society”.

He added, “today the society respects someone who is landed and possess 500 acres or more land, He is proud and arrogant. If his land holding is reduced to some 20 or 30, proportionately his arrogance will also come down. A society that is totally depended on property, and a society where property holder is looked with respectability unless it is properly operated upon we will be void of values. Any act is passed to benefit the people. As representatives of people we never think to bring an act that is not to your liking. Charity begins at home. Most of the legislators are from rural areas. We are going to declare our lands first. As leaders, we have a responsibility to do it first. A leader is not just for getting votes. Let me remind you that you cannot escape from this act. If you give voluntarily okay, otherwise I take through the act. People want it and want the act to be implemented”.


The Land Reforms Act introduced as a Bill on August 30, 1972 and brought in to implementation with effect from June 1, 1973 benefited Telangana to a large extent. As per the available statistics now, about 3.14 lakhs acres of surplus land was distributed to SCs, STs and other weaker sections for agriculture and house site purposes benefiting 2.26 Lakhs people consequent to land reforms. Including this, about 23 Lakhs acres of land has been assigned to various sections benefiting about 15. 84 Lakhs individuals. However, the land so distributed could not be exploited properly since the governments of those days did not bother to provide agriculture related facilities or inputs required by the small and marginal farmer and as a result the purpose was defeated.

Thanks to PV’s land Reforms not only big landlords had to surrender surplus land but also further land concentration and purchase of agricultural lands by them was stopped. In the backdrop of Telangana Government’s proposal to go for a comprehensive survey and land records rectification, the available statistical data reveals that the marginal, small, semi-medium and medium holdings account for as large as 97%! It is primarily the land records of these lands that will now be subjected to rectification, cleansing and updating in toto in the State so that the land related issues find a litigation free permanent solution. CM KCR suggested that the maintenance of land records and registration process pertaining to these lands should be simplified with utmost transparency. 

Going in to further details: out of a total extent of about 1.55 crores of agriculture land more than 39 Lakhs acres account for 62% of holdings of between 1.25 acres and 2.5 acres. 24% of holdings are between 2.5 acres and 5 acres accounting for 46 Lakhs acres. 11% of holdings are between 5 acres and 10 acres accounting for 39 Lakhs acres. The percentage of holdings between 10 acres and 25 acres is just 3 and account for 23 Lakhs acres. The holdings above 25 acres are just 0.28% and account for a meagre 6 Lakhs acres of land. As far as number of holdings are concerned, there are 34.41 Lakhs between 1.25 acres to 2.5 acres, between 2.5 and 5 acres 13.27 lakhs, between 5 and 10 acres 6 lakhs, between 10 acres and 25 acres 1.67 lakhs and above 25 acres a meagre 15, 775 holdings. By any means if you ponder on the maximum beneficiaries of Chief Minister’s Rs 8,000 per acres in-put subsidy scheme it is undoubtedly the small, medium and marginal farmers. It is to the credit of PV we have today the small holdings and it is to the credit of KCR they are getting the benefit! END


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