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Journalism of Courage
After circulating the draft National Right to Homestead Bill,2013,among ministries,the rural development ministry has readied the draft National Land Reforms Policy. If implemented,it could tilt the balance in favour of the landless. It is a politically contentious issue as some states see the move as Centre stepping into their domain.
The draft policy aims to ensure effective distribution of land to landless poor in a time-bound manner. It also aims protect them from losing their land,devise land use strategies and secure land rights for women.
However,since land is a state subject,the Centre can only advise. Therefore,a land reform policy would largely be a soft law or guidelines to states. The policy is part of the Agra Agreement with the Ekta Parishad signed in October 2012,following which a task force on land reforms was constituted.
The policy,which was circulated to task force members on Friday,also talks of giving homestead rights of at least 10 cents to the landless and homeless rural households. It urges states to have a more systematic plan for assignment of land to the poor while creating a land pool within a specified time frame.
According to the policy,states should distribute/assign/allot the available land to eligible land less poor,particularly the Scheduled Castes,Scheduled Tribes and other marginalised and deprived landless in a time-bound manner both for agriculture and house sites. The allotment of land should be made in the name of women member in the eligible family.
The policy advises states to draw up a land-use plan using modern scientific metho-dologies and taking into account development needs of the country while respecting the rights and opinions of the communities and the people.
