Lok Sabha Question No. 4494 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: Converting Barren Land to Arable Land
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, Ranjeeta Koli

## GOVERNMttNT OFINDIA

## MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF LAND RESOURCES

## LOK SABHA

## IINSTAttuD QUESTION No.4494 TO BE ANSW電 駆 D ON 23.03.2021

## Converting]Barren Land to Arable]Land

## 4494.SIIRIMATIPOoNAMBEN MAADAM: SIIRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI:

will the Minister  of RURAL DEVELOPMENT  be pleased to state:

- (a) the area of barren land in hectares  in the geographical  areas  of Rajasthan and Gujarat at present  and its percentage  and portion out of the total land in the said States;
- (b) the names of schemes implemented  by the Union Government  to convert barren land into agrarian  land in Rajasthan and Gujarat  during the last three years and the funds allocated /released/utilised  for this purpose,  year-wise;  and
- (c) the area of barren land in hectares which has been converted  into agrarian/arable  land in Rajasthan  and Gujarat along with the allocated/released  funds under  this scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RTJRAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (c): According  to Directorate  of Economics  and Statistics, Ministry  of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,  out of 342.24 lakh hectare geographical  area of Rajasthan,  23.91 lakh hectare (6.98%) is barren and unculturable land. Similarly out of 196.02  lakh hectare  geographical  area of Gujarat,  25.52  laph hectare  (13.02%)  is barren  and unculturable  land.

As per the nine-fold  classification  of land use, the barren  and unculturable  land includesall  bamen and unculturable land like mountains, deserts etc., which cannot  be brought under cultivation  except at an exorbitant cost. There is no scheme/ programme,  as such, exclusively  for converting barren land into cultivable land.

As per the seventh Schedule  of constitution  of India, 'land'falls under the purview  of State Government and, therefore,  it is for the State Governments to take suitable steps for transforming  barren land into arable land. However, Govemment of India supplements the efforts of State Governments  through various programmes.  The Department  of Land Resources has been implementing  watershed Development  Component  of  pradhan  Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY)  erstwhile Integrated  watershed Management Programme (IWMP) for development  of rainfed/degraded  areas. Under the scheme, year-wise details of funds released and utilized  during  the last three years  and the current year in Rajasthan  and Gujarat,  is as follows:

Rs. in crore

| Years    | Central share released   | Central share released   | Funds utilized (including Central share, State share and misc receipts)* as on 3 1.12.2020   | Funds utilized (including Central share, State share and misc receipts)* as on 3 1.12.2020   |
|----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          | Rajasthan                | Guiarat                  | Rajasthan                                                                                    | Guiarat                                                                                      |
| 2017-18  | 243.59                   | 87.51                    | 628.59                                                                                       | 234.05                                                                                       |
| 2018… 19 | 299.00                   | 151.84                   | 487.26                                                                                       | 120.00                                                                                       |
| 2019-20  | 119.43                   | 77.93                    | 607.02                                                                                       | 156。 79                                                                                      |
| 2020-21  | 449.896                  | 0                        | 719.82**                                                                                     | 73.51**                                                                                      |
| Total    | 1111.916                 | 317.28                   | 2442.69                                                                                      | 584。 35                                                                                      |

Till date, 60lprojects  covering an area  of 34.66 lakh hectare have been completed  in Rajasthan. In Gujarat,  430 projects  covering an area 2l.34lakh hectare have been completed.