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AlokPandey2
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Dear Sir, It has been brought to our notice that there had been concealment of surplus lands. We are making efforts to locate where concealment had been there. There has been a lot of surplus land. But so far they have not been located. We are trying to locate them. For instance in this draft plan in Para 69 it has been stated the situation needs to be rectified so that the true surpluses may be identified and redistributed with in a definite time period with a renewed determination. It has therefore been proposed that the process of correcting land records and redistributing all the true surplus be completed within 5 years.
This is what we have been striving for. Not only this in some states even the land records are not up to date. In some areas they are not even available. Therefore we are also trying to bring the land records up to date. Land records are being up dated and proper entries are being made. Now there are tenants who have land but they are not being regarded as tenants. Therefore, they don't have any rights. Unless they are regarded as tenants of the land they would not have any rights. Land records are being up dated and this effort is being made in almost all the states. Consolidation of holding is also very necessary which we are doing. Sir, As you know very well holdings in this country are very small and these holdings are also at different places. Sometimes a person who has only two acres of land has that land at three different places. He cannot improve the land at all.
We are trying to have consolidation. We are encouraging consolidation in states which are willing to take it up. Then the land which is declared surplus is of a very poor quality. As all of us know when somebody asked to declare his surplus area he will declared the worst possible area that he has. So only the worst possible areas have been declared as surplus. Some of them are not even cultivable. We are trying that these areas should be improved because if they are not improved the poor farmer to whom this land is allocated would not benefit.
Sir, rural development also has been a great emphasis in this plan, and it will be apparent from allocation made in this behalf. For example so far rural power they had not made enough provision in the earlier plans and that is why for agricultural sector power is simply not available in some areas. For instance I would mention Orissa which is proposed the only surplus state of the country so far as power is concerned. This is a very sorry state of affairs. That is why we are trying to place more emphasis on power for rural areas. A provision of Rupees 3000 crores has been hade which is far greater than the provision so far made. Similarly for roads. Roads have been constructed by some states and the economy of their villages for changed considerably. We have provided Rupees 800 crores for rural Roads. Similarly a provision has been made for traditional cottage industries and we can provide some sort of employment in some areas. Some women are employed there and this generates some additional income. Previously in the fifth five year plan provision of Rupees 330 crores had been made for traditional cottage house hold industries. But in this plan a provision of Rupees 1000 crores has been made. It will generate a lot of employment and will improve the economic condition of these poor people. Similarly houses are very necessary. In some areas houses are not available. Only small thatched huts are available. Earlier there had been a lot of fanfair about it saying that so many plots have been allocated and figures running into mills were given. But there were not sufficient allocation for housing only Rupees 55 crore had been provided in the fifth five year plan. This is a very insignificant figures. So far as rural houses are concerned we have provided Rupees 500 crores ten times more. This is thus a big leap we are taking for rural development. It is very necessary for a person to have a house to live in at least. For hilly and tribal areas Rupees 800 crores have been provided separately. For rural development in the public sector plan outlays we have provided 43 percent of the total outlay while as in the earlier plan it was 35 percent only. The total allocation is Rupees 29000 crores in the land plan. Sir, I would like to draw the attention of these August house to one more matter. We talk about poor farmers and also about economic empowerment and rural women. I have also motivated a few women farmers to come forward to start work to cater to the needs of 50 spinning mills which are located in an around this area.