Minister of State
for Rural Development Shri Annasaheb M.K. Patil said that his
Ministry has undertaken the initiatives for formulation of National
Policy on Land Resource Management for better land care. Inaugurating
two-days National workshop on Land Resource Management here
today, Shri Patil said that the integrated land-use planning
will move towards more effective and efficient use of land and
its natural resources. He pointed out that there are a number
of policies prepared by various Ministries/ Departments on this
issue. Therefore, there is a need to harmonies the objectives,
approaches, laws and activities of each of these statements
to ensure a holistic and Integrated Land Resource Management.
The Minister expressed the hope that National Policy should
be able to establish a general framework for land use and physical
planning within which specialized and more detailed sectoral
plans can be developed.
Shri Patil said
the Approach Paper to the Tenth Plan assigns high priority to
area-specific programmes such as watersheds, river valleys,
arid areas and wastelands. Even though the watershed approach
has been adopted for area development programmes, it is still
essential to coordinate the activities of all line departments
and adopt an integrated approach. Touching upon the issue of
land reforms, the Minister highlighted that there is a need
to organize the state resources to implement the scheme of consolidation
of land holdings. The land reform strategy needs to become more
gender sensitive in relation to land inheritance laws and land
ceiling laws. Shri Patil informed that a major initiative has
been taken to computerise core data contained in land records
to make it accessible to the people, the planners and administrators
so as to assist them in development planning.
Shri Kamaluddin
Ahmed, Member, Planning Commission said Land degradation status
in the country are estimated by various agencies and areas of
wastelands differ widely from 53.0 to 175.0 million ha due to
varying definitions and parameters used and are based on the
broad level surveys. The absence of a single integrating and
coordinating agency and the effective mechanism have been an
impediment to this end and has encouraged sectoral utilisation
of this finite national and intergenerational asset. Therefore,
for sustainable management of land resource and to prevent land
degradation, a holistic and integrated planning has to be adopted.
Secretary Rural
Development Shri M. Shankar said that the problem of limitation
of land in our country is more acute. India has 18 percent of
world population, 15 percent of cattle population but little
over 2 percent of the world’s geographical area (329 m ha),
1 percent forest area and 0.5 per cent of grass land. On this
limited resource, there are many stake holders and managers
who desire to have different goods and services.
He further stated
that there is need for management system which can harmonize
mounting pressure on land in the wake of declining trend of
per capita availability from 0.5 ha to .15 ha from 1950-51 to
2000-2001. Depletion of water resources and ground water as
well as surface water, land degradation and pressure on agriculture
and non-agriculture land including forest lands is a matter
of serious concern for the Government.
Shri P. Mohandas,
Secretary, Drinking Water Supply, Shri P.S. Rana, Addl. Secretary,
Department of Land Resources, Senior officials of the Ministry
and respresentatives from State Governments and experts are
participating in this Workshop.
