Land reform : Land reform refers to the redistribution of land ownership for the benefit of small and marginal farmers and agricultural labourers. According to Prof. Mirdal, “Land reform refers to planning and institutional reconstitution in context to individuals and land.”
Programmes for land reform
i. Abolition of Intermediaries : The Zamindari, Ryotwari and Mahalwari systems were abolished, and laws were made for this. This created a direct contact between the farmers and the government.
ii. Tenancy Reforms :
- Regulation of land Revenue : It was proposed that in the first five year plan the maximum land revenue should not exceed 1/5 to 1/4 of the total production.
- Protection of the rights of tenants : Various plans were made for the protection of the rights of tenants, to stop the interference of tenants, to give the farmers the ownership of land and while giving back the ownership rights to the farmers, leaving some part of land for the tenants.
- Ownership rights were given to the tenants : Laws were enacted in many states in this regard. More success was achieved in West Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala, as compared to other states.
- Resumption of land in self tenancy : States have been divided into four categories under the resumption laws.
iii. Consolidation of Holdings : The maximum limit of agricultural land kept by an individual or a family was fixed. The sub-division and fragmentation of holdings in the country took place due to various legal, social, economic and demographic reasons.
iv. Reorganisation of Agriculture :
- Consolidation : To resolve the problem of sub-division and fragmentation, the consolidation of holdings was done. Consolidation implied providing farmland at one place to the farmer instead of fields scattered around places in the village.
- Betterment in arrangement of land : Under this, during the 1st and 2nd planning phase, priority was given to the development of land, i.e., to make the land leveled, to transform barren land suitable for agriculture, use of high yielding seed varieties, good quality fertilizers, modem equipments, etc.
- Cooperative farming : At the end of first five year plan, India had only 1000 cooperative societies. In the Nagpur session in 1959, the Congress provided momentum to the development of cooperative farming as it declared joint cooperative development as the ultimate target of agricultural reforms.
Stability to Landless Farmers and Land- Donation and Village Donation : Under this scheme, landless farmers were to be provided land for living. But still, 19% of the farmers are landless till today. The scheme was made in first five year plan, but still till today this problem is present.
It was started in 1951 by Vinoba Bhave. According to him, “The aim behind this movement is to remove social and economical disturbances without any struggle”. The mission of the movement was to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give some percentage of their land to the landless people.
Critical Evaluation :
This is as given below :
1. Till today, the records related to land are incomplete in many states.
2. This outlook of the government was not successful in context to land reforms.
3. Unwanted lawsuits gained strength.
4. This programme was not coordinated properly.
5. Till today, high rate of land revenue is been raised in some areas.
Suggestions to improve land reform programme :
1. Development of Irrigation facilities.
2. Stopping people from using other’s land.
3. Lawful suits must be field against the people’s performing wrong transferring and wrong allocation.
4. Former soldiers should be given priority while distributing land in bordering areas.
5. Minimum wages of farmers should be fixed in agriculture.
6. Land should be provided to the landless in the villages.
7. Government should itself identify the persons who are engaged in wrongful nomination of property.
8. Strict action should be taken against those who are depriving the farmers from the land.
