Bhubaneswar: Despite formulating a draft of Odisha Agricultural Land Leasing Act, which is aimed at recognising sharecroppers and enabling them to avail various agri schemes, no follow-up action has been taken by the state government to promulgate it since March.
Restrictions under the state laws governing agricultural land leasing compel land owners and lessee cultivators to only enter into informal agreements.
As a result, sharecroppers are deprived of various government benefits meant for farmers. Besides, land owners also feel insecure to lease out agricultural land, thereby reducing the landless poor’s access to land by way of leasing.
After a long debate inside and outside the Assembly, the Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare department had, in last March, drafted Odisha Agricultural Land Leasing Act to recognise the farmers cultivating agricultural land on lease so that they can access loans through credit institutions, insurance, disaster relief, marketing facilities, procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), subsidies and other support services provided by the government. However, the draft has remained in pen and paper only.
This is not the first such instance either. Earlier in 2013, the government had decided to amend Orissa Land Reforms Act, 1965 for this purpose. A draft proposal prepared by the departments of revenue and law is yet to see the light of day.
Meanwhile, peasant leaders expressed anguish over government apathy at a time when they are reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The government never shows any kind of sympathy towards farmers. We protested for this law from the time when Harekrushna Mahatab was the chief minister. But, it is yet to come up. If the government has the will power, it should enact the law in this upcoming Assembly session without further delay,” said Akshay Kumar.
Official sources said that the Law department has given its observations and recommendations for implementation of the Act. However, the issue is pending before the Revenue and Agriculture departments.
The Act is still in the draft stage and will be enacted very soon, said Agriculture Secretary Saurabh Garg.
Biswa Bhusan Mohapatra, OP