Land reforms to eradicate poverty: Prof Vyas

Patna, July 22: A Pragmatic approach should be adopted in land reforms to achieve the eradication of poverty and bring smiles on the faces of more than 836 million people below poverty line in the country, said Prof V S Vyas, Chairman of the Institute of Development, Jaipur.

Presenting his paper on the second day of the three-day international seminar on poverty here, Prof Vyas said under new phase of land reforms, marginal farmers should be encouraged to sell or lease out land and government should provide them employment in the non-farming sector.

''Small farmers should be encouraged to expand their holdings by leasing-in or buying the land,'' he said, adding that large farmers should be motivated to sell or lease out and they should be given the opportunity to start non-farm rural enterprise.

Mr Vyas advocated for unfreezing the lease market and activation of land markets to enable the small farmers to buy the land.

Besides minimising the risk factors in agrarian markets, he stressed on the need to increase the prices of agricultural products and its delivery system.

Outlining the facets of the first phase of land reforms initiated after independence, Mr Vyas stressed said abolition of Zamindari and Jagirdari was done to discourage the expansion of large holdings.

Protection of tenants and ceiling on land holdings were among the other issues, which had been accorded priority in first phase of land reforms.

''Neglect of productivity-enhancing measures and lack of organisation of the poor were among important factors responsible for the failure of the initial phase of land reforms,'' he noted.

UNI