ABSTRACT

Agriculture - Scheme of distribution of 2 acre wasteland to landless / poor Agricultural Labour families – development of such wasteland – formulation of guidelines – approved – Orders – Issued.

AGRICULTURE (WD.1) DEPARTMENT

G.O.(Ms).NO. 241                                                    

DATED: 120-9-2006

READ:-

1.Budget speech made in the floor of Assembly on 22.7.2006.
2.G.O.Ms.No.555 (Revenue) dt: 26.8.2006

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ORDER:

"In the Budget speech 2006-2007, it has been announced that :

"The Poramboke Wasteland of the Government will be developed into cultivable land and distributed to poor landless farmers two acres each. At the same time, if the families of poor farmers who own Patta lands come forward on their own volition to get their lands developed into cultivable lands such patta lands will be developed into cultivable lands at the cost of the Government and given back to them for cultivation."

2. Based on the above announcement, in the G.O. read above it has been ordered that wastelands to be utilised under the scheme of "distribution of 2 acre wasteland to landless poor Agricultural labour families" will be of three type:-

(i) Government Pormboke wastelands without encroachment.
(ii) Government wastelands under encroachment by small and marginal farmers.
(iii) Wastelands which are patta lands of small and marginal farmers.

Further in the G.O. read above it has been ordered that the development of such wastelands so as to make it cultivable may be done under the schemes run by Agriculture Department.

In addition funds available in the schemes run by Rural Development and Energy Departments shall be utilised for the development of wasteland.

3.Accordingly, all major schemes will be dovetailed at the Districts level to achieve the objective of development of the Wastelands mentioned in para 2 above.

4. To guide the implementing Departments, to achieve the above mentioned dovetailing of schemes a set of operational guidlines have been formulated.

5. After careful consideration, Government approve the operational guidlines for the development of wasteland under the scheme of "distribution of 2 acre land each to the poor, landless agricultural labour families" in Tamil Nadu as given in annexure-I to this order. All implementing Departments are requested to scrupulously adhere to the guidelines and seek clarifications from the specified authorities as and when required.

(BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR)

Surjit K.Chaudhary,
Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government

To

The Vice Chairman and Managing Director, TAWDEVA, Chennai-97.

The Director of Agriculture , Chennai-5

The Commissioner for Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Chennai-5.

The Chief Engineer (Agricultural Engineering), Chennai-35..

The Chairman, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, Chennai.-2

The Director of Rural Development, Chennai -15.

The District Collector, Kancheepuram/Tiruvallur/Villupuram/Vellore/Tiruvannamalai/Perambalur/Trichy/Karur/
Dharmapuri/Krishnagiri/Salem/Erode/Namakkal/Coimbatore/Dindugul/Madurai/Sivagangai/Ramanathapuram/
virudhunagar/Tirunelveli/Thoothukudi/Kanyakumari/Theni/Pudukottai/Thanjavur/Tiruvarur/Nagapattinam/Cuddalore.

The Accountant General, Chennai-18 / (by name also)

The Accountant General, (Audit) Chennai-35 (by name also )

Copy to:

The Secretary to Chief Minister, Chennai-9

The Special Personal Assistant to Minister for Agriculture, Chennai-9

The Special Personal Assistant to Minister for Housing and Urban Development and Wasteland Department, Chennai-9.

The Finance / Energy / Rural Development/ Revenue Departments, Chennai-9

Sf/scs.

ANNEXURE-I

GUIDELINES:

1. The Revenue Department has categorized the lands into the following categories to be taken up for development under the programme of "Distribution of 2 acres of land free of cost to the landless poor agricultural labour families".

Category I: Government poramboke wastelands without any encroachment

Category II: Government poramboke wastelands under encroachment by small and marginal farmers.

Category III: Private patta wastelands of small and marginal farmers

Details of these lands such as survey numbers, extent, F.M.B. sketches, village maps etc. shall be supplied by the Revenue Department. The list of beneficiaries selected shall also be supplied by the Revenue Department.

2. Thereafter, the following activities will be taken by the field officials of the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Agriculture Engineering and Tamilnadu Watershed Development Agency (TAWDEVA).

a. A preliminary reconnaissance survey and joint inspection by the officials of these Departments shall be done for each and every individual field.
b. During this joint inspection, the suitability of each field for cultivation, matching annual/tree crops, land development works required and the water availability for irrigation shall be studied;
c. The officials will collect the soil samples from the field and the water samples from nearby wells, test the samples and prepare Soil Health Cards for each field with specific recommendations for soil amelioration. Further, the Soil Health Cars shall be issued to the beneficiaries free of cost by the Agricultural Department.
d. Based on the soil health cards, the suitable annual crop/tree crop for each field will be indicated by Agriculture or Horticulture Department, along with estimates.
e. Based on the cropping programme recommended and the field conditions, the Agricultural Engineering Department will evolve a package of land development activities for each field. This package of land development activities shall be implemented by the Agricultural Engineering Department, beneficiary/user group or any other agency equipped for this job, as decided by the District Collector in accordance with the provisions of the relevant schemes.
f. The details of seeds, planting material and other inputs and their availability shall be assessed, sourced and supplied to the respective beneficiaries by the respective department, Agriculture or Horticulture, depending upon the crop recommended. The departments shall also ensure that only quality planting materials and quality seeds is supplied.

3. Wherever category I and category II lands are available in a block of 10 acres and above, either separately or in a combined manner and also the beneficiaries are willing to form a Lift Irrigation Society for joint development and joint management of common infrastructure, the following steps shall be taken by the Collector to promote cluster development.
a. Geo-physical survey will be conducted by Agricultural Engineering Department to ascertain the availability of ground water and if it is available in sufficient quantity with good quality, appropriate irrigation sources will be created to meet crop irrigation needs;
b. When a bore well is proposed, the cost estimate shall include the cost of sinking bore well, the cost of lining pipes, the cost of pump and motor and the cost of energisation. Solar powered pumpsets can also be installed wherever found economically feasible;
c. The cost of energisation shall include the entire cost of package, from the cables, starters, panel boards to the E.B. Deposit, including the cost of extension poles
d. When tree crops are recommended for the areas in the cluster, an attempt will be made to further economise on irrigation water through micro/drip irrigation system by the Horticulture Department;
e. As the tree crops will take at least three to four years to come to yield and for that interim period of waiting, intercropping with vegetables/pulses/oilseeds etc. can be undertaken, without disturbing the micro irrigation system.
f. The departments of Agriculture, Horticulture and Agricultural Engineering shall impart technical advice to the beneficiaries on the following aspects.
(i) Use of high yielding/hybrid varieties.
(ii) Maintenance of optimum population/high density planting
(iii) Promoting integrated nutrient management and integrated pest and disease management practices.
(iv) Judicious use of water through micro/drip irrigation.
(v) Growing inter crop for sustainable income till the orchard is established.
(vi) Adoption of pre and post harvest management practices.
(vii) Forward integration with the assistance of Director of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business for organised marketing of the produces.
g. All the proposals should be prepared in project mode.
4. Following shall be the funding pattern of this programme.
a) The ongoing programmes of the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Agricultural Engineering, TAWDEVA, Rural Development and Energy shall be dovetailed. The list of programmes, that can be dovetailed and their area of operation is given in the Annexure-II. This list is only indicative. In future, more programmes can be dovetailed depending on their availability.
b) The guidelines of the ongoing scheme of Comprehensive Wasteland Programme will stand changed as detailed above.
c) The total amount of beneficiary contribution under various schemes shall be worked out and proposals sent to TAWDEVA for payment of the contribution on behalf of the beneficiary, through the District Watershed Development Agencies.
d) Cost norms for various items of works will be issued separately.
e) If, additional funds are required after dovetailing various schemes, it has to be worked out and TAWDEVA may send suitable proposals to the Government for sanction of such funds.
5. The District level committee formed under the G.O.(MS).No.555, Revenue (LD-3) Department, dated 26.8.2006 under the chairmanship of the District Collector shall formulate and monitor the execution of these schemes.

SURJIT K.CHAUDHARY,
Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government.

/true copy/

Section Officer.

SECTION OFFICER