Search the Internet          Tips

Mayawati for radical pro-dalit land reforms

Bahujan Samaj Party politician and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has decided to amend the Zamindari Abolition Act, 1950, to ensure land for landless dalits and other deprived members of the backward castes.

A decision to this effect was taken at Friday's meeting of the state Cabinet, which took serious note of the illegal possession of plots allotted to landless labourers in the past.

This follows the common complaint of forcible eviction of legitimate allottees belonging to the downtrodden castes. There are cases where such plots of land have remained in the illegal occupation of powerful 'upper-caste' persons for up to three decades.

As per the new decision, stringent steps will be taken against illegal occupants of land allotted to dalits and backwards.

Under the proposed amendment, an annual fine ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 will be imposed on the illegal occupants. "The penalty will be realised in the form of arrears of land revenue from the culprits," a senior Uttar Pradesh government official said.

"In all cases where the legitimate allottee is evicted by the unauthorised occupant for a second time after the land has once been freed, a compensation will be charged from the offender," he added. The quality and productivity of the land will determine the level of compensation.

The government has also decided to seek the high court's consent to entrust sub-divisional magistrates with powers to restore such lands to the original allottees. Currently, only judicial magistrates are empowered to take action against the land-grabbers.

It is felt that the new amendment may create more tension between the BSP and its coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party. After all, most of the land-grabbing is done by the influential and affluent upper castes represented by the BJP, while the victims happen to be from among dalits, largely BSP supporters.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report