during the period 1931 to 1966 - 67 35
. At the state level in the year 1970 - 71, 81.8 percent of the holdings were below one hectare and their total area amounted only 31 percent of the total cultivated area. In order to attain a more equitable distribution of operational
holdings in the state, the Kerala Land Reforms (Amendment) Act was introduced in 1969. The two major objectives of the Act, which
was enforced from st January, 1970 were (i) the total abolition of tenancy and (ii) the possession and redistribution of surplus lands among landless peasants. The Act achieved its first objective by conferring ownership rights to all types of tenants. However, with regard to the acquisition and redistribution of surplus lands it was a failure to a great extent. The longtime gap between the ceiling proposal (1957) and its implementation (1970) gave enough time to landlords who had surplus lands beyond the prescribed limits to avoid its surrender through real and bogus transfers. Excemption granted to areas under plantation crops was another flaw of the Act. Similarly, concessions given to the landed properties of religious and charitable institutions were widely misused. Many farmers successfully evaded the seizure of their lands through litigation. Creation of spurious tenancies with or without the connivance of bureaucrats also defeated the very purpose of the Act to some extent. Again,
as the concept of personal cultivation, which
meant the participation in agricultural activities with physical involvement,
was diluted to include supervision also, many absentee landowners engaged in other occupations managed to retain their holdings. Even CPI (M) has deviated from its original slogan of
land to the tiller by upholding the right of absentee landowners and people engaged in other occupations to possess cultivating lands. The Party’s Central Committee Resolution on Agrarian Issues
(1973)
states that, the lands of smallholders owing less than half of the ceiling but elking their livelihood in factories,
small shops, schools, …. or in any other profession, even if they are not cultivating their lands shall not betaken The extent of land declared surplus in the state as on 30-11-1988 was 160099 acres. Out of this, only 91,562 acres
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