Land diversion

gujarat is witnessing a trend that instantiates how socio-economic movements often don't reach their logical conclusions. Tracts earmarked for landless farmers under the bhoodan programme are being used to construct residential and commercial complexes in the state. The state government has initiated action against private builders for such misuse of bhoodan land.

During the 1950s, landlords had donated 52,609 hectares (ha) to the state's bhoodan committee. Of this, 20,639 ha was given away to the landless but the rest remained undistributed. Now, with increased urbanisation, multi-storeyed complexes are being built on these tracts. This, despite Gujarat's Bhoodan Act, 1951, stipulating that such land can only be used for agriculture.

Vadodara's district collector, Bhagyesh Jha, recently issued a notice to city-based Vaikunth Builders for building a residential complex on bhoodan land. The district collectorate has also put under revision the sale of 1.4 ha of bhoodan land at Bopad, on the city's outskirts. The collector refused to comment on the issue, but Pranav Panchal of Vaikunth Builders claims the company has followed the procedure for obtaining bhoodan land. According to him, the Sarvoday Mandal -- the body which distributes such tracts -- has cleared the transaction. Intriguingly, this is borne out by Jagdish Shah of the mandal.

The Bhoodan movement, started by Acharya Vinoba Bhave, was perhaps the first effort in independent India to empower landless labourers (mainly dalits and tribals) by giving them cultivable land.

Subscribe to Daily Newsletter :

SUPPORT US

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.