Question

What helped West Bengal in reducing poverty?

Answer 1

Hint: Earlier the leasing-out of agricultural land was not banned in the state, but the sharecroppers were not identified as tenants. But later, majority of the sharecroppers were provided the ownership of their land.

Complete answer:
- Land reform measures have helped West Bengal in reducing poverty.
- Successful legislation for land redistribution, including ceilings on private land property took place only in a few states. In West Bengal, the most notable and successful land reforms happened because of the implementation of “Operation Barga”, majority sharecroppers were provided the ownership of their land.
- Earlier the leasing-out of agricultural land was not banned in the state, but the sharecroppers were not identified as tenants. Only with effect from 1979, with the launching of Operation Barga, the State of West Bengal started recognising the share-croppers as tenants. Thus, protecting them from the exploitation of landowners. The result was a more fair distribution of land between the landless farmers, and their enumeration.
- It is largely accepted that the West Bengal’s land reforms have had a positive influence on agricultural production, poverty alleviation, and economic growth.

Note: The intermediaries like Zamindars, patronised and promoted by the British government, were the main instrument of the exploitation. Prior to Independence in India, about 60% of the cultivated area was under the Zamindari system.

The States took the mission of terminating the intermediaries by passing the legislations. States like UP, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, etc., passed the Zamindari Abolition Act, in order to confiscate the surplus lands from the Zamindars.