One of the leading farmer activists of the land consolidation movement in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand has criticised the State Government accusing it of not being serious about ensuring voluntary land consolidation in the State. Ganesh Singh ‘Garib’ says that the State Government should first make its intentions clear as to whether it wants people to continue living in the mountainous regions or whether it wants to further fuel migration of the people from the mountains.
He was reacting to the directions given to officials by Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat who is also in charge of land consolidation in mountain villages. The minister has directed officials to study land consolidation regulations in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern States and then draft regulations suited to Uttarakhand.
Reviewing departmental work recently, Rawat directed officials to study land consolidation in some States and draft a policy suited to Uttarakhand. The minister had said that facilitating land consolidation is vital for ensuring development and preventing migration from the mountainous regions wherefarms in the rural areas are scattered which limits gains from farming.
He said that Rs 1 crore assistance for development works will be given to any village that undertakes voluntary land consolidation. However according to Garib, “The need for land consolidation in the mountainous regions was acknowledged by the State Government of undivided Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s and later by the Uttarakhand Government. But, successive State Governments have done little more than wasting resources on tours to study land consolidation. The State Government’s stance is such that migration will not be tackled effectively and at this rate with the rural society dying out in the mountains, very soon these regions will be deserted. If the State is serious on facilitating land consolidation it should at least hold talks with activists and farmers who have been involved in the land consolidation movement and have relevant experience. Touring other States and implementing policies drafted by those without any link to the ground level will not facilitate the desired development,” he stressed.