Lok Sabha Question No. 4183 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-29
Subject: Shrinking of Agricultural Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Chandrani Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4183

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH  MARCH, 2022

## SHRINKING OF AGRICULTURAL LAND

## 4183. MS CHANDRANI MURMU:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  agricultural  land  has  shrunk  in Keonjhar     HPC because of increased activity in mining;
- (b) if so, the total area of agricultural land lost to mining during the last fifteen years;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to compensate the lost agricultural land to the farmers;
- (d) whether the Government has decided to allocate no agricultural land for mining activities; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) & (b): As per the  Land Use Statistics, the details of agricultural land/ cultivable land of  Keonjhar District of Odisha   during the last 15 years (from 2006-07 to 2020-21) are given in the Annexure.
- (c) to (e): There is no significant decline in the agricultural land in the Keonjhar District of Odisha during the last 15 years. However, marginal decline of agricultural land may be due  to  diversion  of  land  for  non-agricultural  purposes  such  as  urbanization,  roads, industries, housing etc. While there is shift in agricultural land for non agricultural purposes, non-agricultural land is also being brought under agricultural uses.

As per Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India, land comes under the purview of State Government. Therefore, the State Governments are 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 developmental activities, including industrial and construction  activities.  National  Rehabilitation  and  Resettlement  Policy  -  2007  (NRRP2007) 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.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) and (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 4183 due for answer on 29/03/2021

Details of Agricultural land of Keonjhar District of Odisha from 2006-07 to 2020-21

| Year    |   Agricultural Land (in hectare) |
|---------|----------------------------------|
| 2006-07 |                           330000 |
| 2007-08 |                           330000 |
| 2008-09 |                           330000 |
| 2009-10 |                           356000 |
| 2010-11 |                           359000 |
| 2011-12 |                           338239 |
| 2012-13 |                           352206 |
| 2013-14 |                           329597 |
| 2014-15 |                           333000 |
| 2015-16 |                           325557 |
| 2016-17 |                           338447 |
| 2017-18 |                           359840 |
| 2018-19 |                           321684 |
| 2019-20 |                           352365 |
| 2020-21 |                           331180 |

Note:  Agricultural  Land  consists  of  net  area  sown,  current  fallows,  fallow  lands  other  than current fallows, culturable waste land and land under miscellaneous tree crops.

Source: Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare

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