EXPERT COMMITTEE ON LAND LEASING HEADED BT DR. T HAQUE

Agriculture Division of NITI Aayog in September 2015 constituted an Expert committee on a Shore Leasing. The expert committee was headed by former Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices chairman T Haque.

Who was DR. T HAQUE?

• He was the agricultural economist associated with land related issues in South Asian countries.
• He was the head of 10 member committee constituted by NITI Aayog to review the land laws of various states.
• He has written many books including LAND POLICIES FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH.

The committee comprises of :

•  members from Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Maharashtra, Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Joint Secretary HS Meena from the Department of Natural (land) Resources.
• P Mishra, the Adviser (Agriculture) in NITI Aayog acted as the member secretary.

Works which have to be done by the committee includes:

• reviewing the prevailing agricultural tenancy laws of states, including hilly states and schedule areas.
• examining the land system.
• suggest appropriate amendments, keeping insight the necessity to legalise and liberalise land leasing for much needed agricultural efficiency, equity, occupational diversification, and rapid rural transformation.
• preparing the model agricultural and land leasing act in consultation with states.

Way forward:

• The land acquisition law faced stiff resistance from farmers who did’t want to be uprooted from their ancestral lands.
• but, the land lease status should not be controversial as it doesn’t affect the ownership of land.
• central govt. should make necessary provisions in the laws for leasing of land.
• needs corporation from state government.
• the land lease law can effectively help to fight againt poverty.

References:

• wikipedia
• current affairs

Thank you