Impact of Land Reforms on Socio-economic Life of Scheduled Castes

Abstract

Landlessness is the indicator which is indicates poverty of Scheduled Caste’s family in India. Poverty, hunger, unemployment, down nutrition, bed health, illiterateness, inequality, discrimination and social protection all are linked to land ownership. Land redistribution programs have had limited success for several seasons. In the above circumstances the present study is mainly concentrated to know the impact of land reforms on socio-economic characteristics of Scheduled Castes in study area. The study based on 70 respondents which got land (patta) during 2007-2012 under land reforms in tehsil Gabhana of the district Aligarh U.P. Stratified random sampling has been adopted for selection of respondents. Proportionate number of respondents selected by using random number table. It was found that a large number of respondents engaged in the occupation of labour mainly agriculture, construct and daily wages labour so that economic status of the respondents found low. But after having a piece of land, economic status of the respondents found improved of all sub-castes. The average size of allotted land found 0.17 ha, it reflects that the actual size of allotted agriculture land found very small. Large number allotment made on allotted land either unfertile land or fallow land so that they could not able to develop land for agriculture production. Large number of respondents having semi-irrigation facility on their allotted land, so that they depend on their neighbor’s and government tube well and also canal water. The situation of cultivation reflects that large number of respondents cultivating their allotted agriculture land either single crop or mixed crop but they were gaining production. For this situation, large number of respondent said that allotted land used mainly for wheat crop but other crops depend on irrigation facility and fertility of land.