Land policy formulation through planning period

By: EconomyWatch   Date: 21 April 2010

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Land policy formulation through planning period had been determined to redistribute land and to bring equity in rural population. This land policy was set through a number of five-year plans by the Government after independence for proper land management.

Several Five-Year Plans:

Land policy had been formulated through several five-year plans. These are as follows:

  • Through the first five-year plan (1951-1956) the Government decided that The Community Development Network will be looking after the common peasants. More areas will be taken for cultivation.
  • The second plan focused on land productivity which was very low in the British period.
  • The third five-year plan focussed on the problem of food security. Many land had been abandoned at that time which was cultivable. Those lands were taken under the scope of cultivation again. This attention on food security had been continued in the fourth five-year plan as well.
  • In the fifth five-year plan more focus was given on the drought prone areas.
  • In the sixth five-year plan extra attention had been given on the utilization of the agricultural resources, mainly land. According to this plan more neglected lands were taken under cultivation.

  • Land degradation and soil erosion were the two main issues in the seventh five-year plan. So this plan attempted to stop this by the introduction of "Green Revolution".
  • Eighth five-year plan focused on the rain affected areas whereas in the ninth five-year plan several watershed development program had been forecasted for proper water management.
Effects of the Land Policy:
  • First of all the intermediaries, who also had no direct connection with cultivation, created by the British were abolished. Land was described as a matter of state. So proper land management had helped the 'redistribution of the agricultural resources' process which stopped the exploitation of the farmers.
  • Soil conservation and drought prone land development were the two other positive effects of the land policy through which the productivity improved a lot.
  • The underutilized farmlands had been taken under cultivation which increased the land resource and therefore improved the rate of employment in the rural areas.
  • Food security improved vastly because of the increased productivity. The water management program was also performing at a good pace.
  • Finally through proper land management equity in rural population had been achieved somewhat.
Conclusion:

The goals of land policy in India had changed a lot after Independence. Abolition of the intermediate class was the main aim of the Government after independence. So the land policies had been formed through several five-year plans since 1951. With the passage of time many other land reform measures were adopted like the Watershed Development Program.


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