Objectives of Land Reforms

Abolition of Intermediaries

♤ It was to be done so that ownership of land can be clearly identified with management and operation of land. The owner himself should operate and manage

the land.

Land ceilings

♤ To meet the land hunger of working cultivators.

♤ To reduce disparity in agricultural incomes in ownership and in the use of land.

♤ To increase employment opportunities in the rural sector.

Consolidation of holdings

♤ For more efficient management.

Encouragement of co-operative joint farming

♤ To overcome the difficulties presented by tiny holdings.

♤ Larger financial resources could be invested and employment opportunities increased.

Settlement and Regulation of tenancy

♤ To confirm the rights of occupancy of tenants, secure their possession of tenanted land and also rents on

leased land.

Opposition to the Land Reforms

♤ Many argued that ceiling and tenancy legislation would, in effect, infringe upon the constitutional guarantees.

♤ It was said that agricultural output of the nation would be adversely affected because small farming will be inefficient as they would not be able to afford the cost of mechanisation.

♤ It was argued that land was a property and imposition of capital levy in terms of ceiling on land holding would be an injustice when similar measures were not simultaneously adopted in other sectors.

♤ Since land reforms was a state subject, Planning Commission fought hard to convince the states about the reforms. In this process the reform strategy was diluted.

♤ NSS collected data in 1954 which was made available to the planners in 1960. As, planners had already formulated the policy, the magnitude of the problem involved in structural reorganization could not be realized on time.