Debt waiver scheme faces flak from panel on naxalism

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New Delhi, Jun 24: A high-level panel set up by the Planning Commission on naxalite issues has slammed the government over the introduction of the debt waiver scheme, which is meant for farmers only. The group of experts said that the scheme does not address the real cause of indebtedness and covers only those farmers who own land and have outstanding dues. “Any meaningful debt relief should cover not only small farmers but all poor people like, small artisans and small fishermen, who go to moneylenders for credit,” the group said in its report submitted to the Commission recently.

On the much debated issue of land acquisition for special economic zones (SEZs), the panel lashed out at the government, saying that the idea of an SEZ, “irrespective of whether it is established in multi-cropped land or not, is an assault on a major livelihood resource”.

There have been blood baths over land acquisition for SEZs and questions have been raised over the loss of revenue in the form of taxes, and their effect on agricultural production. “In both these debates there is no understanding that land is a livelihood resource. Whether it is multi-cropped or single-cropped, whether it is fertile or infertile, it is the source of livelihood for the farmer and also for other rural inhabitants whose livelihood depends directly or indirectly on land,” the experts said.

Strongly opposing the move of putting up tribal lands for auction by banks, to realise long pending debts, the panel said that the government should prohibit any such practice and instead, work towards reviving and restructuring the large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) and primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS), with the specific target of meeting all credit needs of scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs) and other weaker sections.

Stating that low levels of literacy, low per capita food grain production and a high infant mortality rate has forced people in Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to take up arms, the panel said the government should consider overhauling and revitalising the cooperative banking structure, that is easily accessible to the poorer sections. There is also a need for widespread provision of grain banks managed by Gram Sabhas, in tribal areas. Special provisions for long-term loans for purchase of land by asset-less poor and resource less families who are dependent upon agriculture for their livelihoods, should be arranged.

Further pulling up the government for not implementing ceiling laws for the last two to three decades, the panel said it appears, “as if there is no possibility of identifying ceiling surplus land hereafter. This is not a fact. A serious effort must be made to continuously implement the land ceiling laws, so that the ceiling surplus land, thereby obtained, is made available for distribution amongst the most vulnerable sections of the landless poor”.

It also pointed at the various loopholes in ceiling legislations in states, that have resulted in bogus claims aimed at evading the law. Such loopholes should be done away with, and all cultivable land, irrespective of the legal form in which it is held, should be brought under ceiling laws, the penal demanded.

The naxalites, however, seem to be having greater success with government lands. Though no precise estimates are available, the report states that it is a fact that in some cases, the naxalite movement has succeeded in helping the landless to occupy a substantial extent of government land, either for homesteads or for cultivation.

In Bihar, for instance, all the naxalite parties have attempted to assist, in their respective areas of influence, the landless Musahars, the lowest among the dalits, to take possession of a sizable extent of such land. However, the poor still remain without a title to the land because the administration feels that giving them a title or even a conditional assignment, through which the assignee can use the land and pass it on to their heirs but cannot sell the land, would approve law-breaking and strengthen the naxalites.

Forest-produce should be provided with a protective market by fixing minimum support price for various commodities, upgradation of traditional haats (community markets), and provision of modern storage facilities to avoid post-harvest losses. At the same time, the public distribution system should be specially designed for the specific requirements of the forest dwellers.

In this respect the existing tribal development corporations and cooperative marketing organisations such as Girijan cooperative corporation, Orissa tribal cooperative corporation and Trifed, of the government of India can play an effective role just like the food corporation of India in regard to rice and wheat, for ensuring support price to procurement and professional marketing support. The state should support the expenses relating to the infrastructure, administration and operation of these corporations and they should not have monopoly rights to procurement.

Pointing that while the Minimum Wages Act remains an act on paper in much of rural India, the panel stated that Naxalites in their areas of presence have ensured payment of decent wage rates, though these rates are not in line with the statutory minimum wage rates. The rates they have ensured are sometimes higher and sometimes lower than the statutory rate.