Lok Sabha Question No. 1530 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-25
Subject: Agricultural Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: HARIOM SINGH RATHORE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1530

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 25 TH  JULY, 2017

## AGRICULTURAL LAND

1530.      SHRI HARIOM SINGH RATHORE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the ill effects on the production of foodgrains in  the  country  due  to  conversion  of  agricultural  land  into  non-agricultural  land  and  if  so,  the details and the outcome thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has any plan to check present decrease in area of agricultural land due to rising urbanisation and conversion of agricultural land into residential land as well as rise in prices of land; and
- (c) the details of the role played/likely to be played by the States in this regard ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  S.S. AHLUWALIA)

- (a): Despite marginal decline in the cultivable area, the agricultural production and productivity in the country has been generally increasing as a result of various initiatives taken by the  Government with the exception of the years affected by drought, floods, other natural calamities, etc.

(b) & (c): As per Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India, land comes under the purview of  State Government and, therefore, it is for the State Governments to take suitable steps to check diversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.  However, under the National Policy  for  Farmers  -  2007  (NPF  -2007),  State  Governments  have  been  advised  to  earmark lands with low biological potential  such as uncultivable land, land affected by salinity, acidity, etc.,  for  non-agricultural development activities, including industrial and construction activities. National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy - 2007 (NRRP-2007) has also recommended that  as  far  as  possible,  projects  may  be  set  up  on  waste  land,  degraded  land  or  un-irrigated land.  Acquisition of irrigated, multi-cropped agricultural land for non-agricultural uses may be kept  to  the  minimum  and  avoided,  to  the  extent  possible.    Further,  Ministry  of  Rural Development is implementing an Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) for development  of  rainfed/  degraded  areas.    The  IWMP  has  been  converted  to  the  Watershed Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) from the financial year 2015-16.

Further, Government of India is implementing National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) with a view to prevent soil erosion, land degradation and also to maintain balance in various types of land uses across the country.  Under this mission all types of land including  wastelands/barren  land  are  developed  with  suitable  need  based  soil  and  water conservation  measures  and  parts  of  such  degraded  lands  developed  are  put  to  agricultural practices, leading to net sown area remaining largely unchanged around 141 million ha. in last two decades.

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