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economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

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per cent <strong>for</strong> banana cultivati<strong>on</strong>. II per cent <strong>for</strong> civil <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> purposes <strong>and</strong> 5<br />

per cent left uncultivated. In effect. <strong>on</strong>ly 24 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the l<strong>and</strong> is retained <strong>for</strong> paddy<br />

cultivati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

The Kerala Statistical <strong>Institute</strong> (KSI) specifically examInes the issue <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<strong>and</strong>s originally registered as paddy field (Nilam) in the basic l<strong>and</strong> tax<br />

register during 1992-93. It puts <strong>for</strong>th the argument that crop substituti<strong>on</strong> was<br />

resorted to as a countering mechanism to the declining pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy<br />

cultivati<strong>on</strong>. In 1992-93. <strong>on</strong>ly 58 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the total area classified as 'paddy field'<br />

in the l<strong>and</strong> tax register was actually under paddy. <strong>and</strong> the rest was used <strong>for</strong> different<br />

purposes. While 6 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the area was c<strong>on</strong>verted <strong>for</strong> c<strong>on</strong>structing buildings.<br />

roads <strong>and</strong> other uses. 24 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the area was used <strong>for</strong> growing commercial<br />

crops. \ IZ.. (l)(Onut Jnu rubber. S.) per cent tor annuJI <strong>and</strong> seas<strong>on</strong>al crops. followed<br />

by:; per cent being kept JS fallow (KSI. 1994 as cited in Kannan. 1999).<br />

---------------------------------<br />

padd) fields. This undesirable outcome ultimately resulted in fixing up <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> in<strong>for</strong>mal c<strong>on</strong>tract<br />

norms such that the individual c<strong>on</strong>tractors who lease out the paddy fields <strong>for</strong> clay mining<br />

would fill the paddy fields in turn with some compact material (mostly soil <strong>and</strong> pieces <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

st<strong>on</strong>es). Certainly. this has turned out to be a 'blessing in disguise' <strong>for</strong> the <strong>farm</strong>ers, who<br />

have been rescued out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> legal hurdles involved in the c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy fields. It is<br />

important to note that according to the Kerala L<strong>and</strong> Utilisati<strong>on</strong> Order (GOK, 1967a), clay<br />

mining from paddy fields can be d<strong>on</strong>e <strong>on</strong>ly if the field IS certified as unsuitable <strong>for</strong><br />

cultivati<strong>on</strong>. But. in reality, this is <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten violated. Minnie Mathew Committee (1996)<br />

c<strong>on</strong>stituted <strong>for</strong> suggesting amendments to the KcraLI I.<strong>and</strong> Utilisati<strong>on</strong> Order (19673)<br />

observed that though the KLU is in operati<strong>on</strong>. timd ([{)p has declined by 5.1 lakh ha. <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

which, paddy account <strong>for</strong> 3.04 Iakh ha. (60 %)<br />

157

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