Centre's Assistance to States for Land Reforms | 17 Aug 2024

Source: IE

Why in News?

Recently the central government has earmarked financial incentives under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25 to promote land-related reforms across states.

• The Centre will provide states with Rs 10,000 crore in incentives for implementing land-related reforms in rural and urban areas, and Rs 5,000 crore for creating a Farmers’ Registry during the financial year 2024-25 (FY25).

What are the Recent Announcements For Land Reforms Under the Scheme?

• In rural areas, Unique Land Parcel Identification Numbers (ULPIN), also referred to as Bhu-Aadhaar, will be assigned to land parcels. 
  • ULPIN is a number that would uniquely identify every surveyed parcel of land and prevent land fraud, especially in the hinterlands of rural India, where land records are outdated and often disputed.
• Cadastral maps will be digitised, and land subdivisions will be surveyed to reflect current ownership. Additionally, a comprehensive land registry will be established.
• In urban areas, States will receive financial incentives to digitise land records using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. 
  • They are also required to develop IT-based systems for property record administration, updating, and tax management.

What are Major Initiatives Undertaken for Land Reforms?

• Pre Independence: Under British rule, farmers lacked land ownership, with land titles held by zamindars, jagirdars, and other intermediaries. 
  • Several key challenges, such as the concentration of land in a few hands, exploitative leasing practices, poorly maintained land records, and fragmented land holdings, hindered the effectiveness of land reforms in India  .
• Post-Independence Reforms: To address the above mentioned issues, the government appointed a committee in 1949 chaired by J. C. Kumarappa, which recommended comprehensive agrarian reforms like abolition of intermediaries, tenancy reforms, ceiling on landholdings, consolidation of landholdings.
  • Abolition of Intermediaries: The removal of the zamindari system eliminated intermediaries between cultivators and the state.
  • Tenancy Reforms: It aimed to control rent, ensure security of tenure, and grant ownership to tenants.
  • Ceilings on Landholdings: Land Ceiling Acts were introduced to cap the maximum land one could own, preventing land concentration among a few. 
    • Based on the Kumarappa Committee's recommendation, the ceiling was set to three times the economic holding size needed for a family’s livelihood. 
    • By 1961-62, states had enacted varying ceiling limits, which were standardized in 1971. National guidelines set limits between 10-54 acres, depending on land type and productivity.
  • Consolidation of Landholdings: Land consolidation aimed to address fragmentation by reorganizing small, scattered plots into larger, manageable units. 
    • Most states, except Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, enacted consolidation laws, with compulsory consolidation in Punjab and Haryana and voluntary consolidation in other states.
• Recent Initiatives:
  • DILRMP, a Central Sector scheme, aims to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country, on which different States can also add State-specific needs as they may deem relevant and appropriate.
    
    • The Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme (DILRMP): DILRMP, previously known as the National Land Record Modernisation Programme (NLRMP), was launched in 2008 by the Government of India with the purpose to digitise and modernise land records and develop a centralised land record management system.
  • SVAMITVA: Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India.
    • It is a scheme for mapping the land parcels in rural inhabited areas using drone technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS).

What are the Related Challenges and Steps That Can Be Taken for Land Reforms?

• Challenges:
  • Entrenched Power Structures: Large landowners resist changes, hindering enforcement of land ceiling acts and redistribution policies.
  • Complex Land Records: Outdated record-keeping systems lead to disputes and complicate land identification for redistribution.
  • Land Fragmentation: Division of land among heirs results in economically unviable small landholding.
    • As per the Agriculture Census, the average size of operational holdings has decreased from 2.28 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.84 hectares in 1980-81, to 1.41 hectares in 1995-96 and to 1.08 hectares in 2015-16.
  • Legal and Implementation Issues: Weak enforcement of existing laws and loopholes like lack of clear ceiling on family basis, undermine reform efforts.
  • Urbanisation Pressures: Rapid development leads to contentious farmland acquisition and farmer displacement.
  • Productivity vs. Equity: Balancing the redistribution of land with the need to ensure that new owners can do farming effectively remains a significant challenge.
• Way Forward:
  
  • Technology Integration: Digitise and secure land records using advanced technologies like satellite imaging and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for efficient land management, mapping, and blockchain technology for ensuring transparency and reducing disputes.
  • Legal Framework Enhancement: Strengthen and rigorously enforce land reform laws, closing loopholes and improving implementation mechanisms.
    • There is a need to learn from the land reform practices of West Bengal and Kerala, where reforms were successful to a larger extent due to strong political will.
  • Land Consolidation Initiatives: Incentivise land consolidation through voluntary pooling and cooperative farming models to improve agricultural efficiency.
  • Equitable Land Acquisition: Implement transparent, fair land acquisition policies with adequate compensation and rehabilitation measures for affected farmers.
  • New Landowner Empowerment: Provide comprehensive support to new landowners, including agricultural training, access to credit, and market linkages.

Read more: Land Reforms in India