AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

HOLDINGS

Following is a brief description of the system of land holding prevalent in Khandesh district of which Dhulia district formed part: -

Size of Holding.

"In dry-crop land, from two to four or five hundred acres is a large from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty a middle sized, and from ten to twenty-five a small holding. In garden lands, from twenty to forty acres is a large, from ten to twenty a middle sized, and less than ten a small holding. In 1878-79, including alienated land, she total number of holdings was 142,034 with an average area of twenty-three acres. Of the whole number, 12,995 were holdings of not more than five acres; 21,824 of from five to ten acres; 40,224 from ten to twenty; 37,765 from twenty to fifty; 9602 from fifty to one hundred; 1484 from one hundred to two hundred; 119 from two hundred to five hundred; twelve from five hundred to one thousand; five from one thousand to two thousand; and four above two thousand. The largest holdings are in Virdel. [ Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. XII, Khandesh, 1880, pp. 136.37.]

The description goes to show that major portion of the cultivated land in the district was owned by the big landlords. Inspite of the uneven distribution of land there was no suggestion of an uneconomic holding. The problem of uneconomic holding is a present day problem which is the resultant of a variety of factors such as increasing pressure of population on land, the traditional laws of inheritance and succession etc. This could be judged from the fall in the average sizes of holdings in about 1900 which was 9.308 hectares (23 acres, to 5.261 hectares (13 acres) in the year 1961.

The table No. 12 gives taluka wise quinquennial statement of holdings in government rayatwari area in the district.

The uneconomic size of agricultural holdings considerably affected the productivity of land. Efforts were made to regroup agricultural holdings and bring them to the size of an economic unit by the passage of various Acts such as the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948, the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1962, and the Bombay Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1947.

Ceiling on Holdings.

The Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act came in force from 26th January 1962. Four talukas of Shahada, Dhulia, Nandurbar and Akrani have been notified in the district with different ceiling areas for dry crop land, viz., 31.566 hectares (78 acres), 33.994 hectares (84 acres), 46.134 hectares (114 acres) and 38.850 hectares (96 acres), respectively. In the case of irrigated lands, the ceiling area is the same in all the four local areas, viz., 7.284 hectares (18 acres) in the case of perennially irrigated areas 10.927 hectares (27 acres) in areas irrigated in two seasons, and 19.425 hectares (48 acres) in areas which get irrigation water for one season. Holders of land in excess of the ceiling areas are not now free to transfer or partition their possession until the land in excess of the ceiling is determined under the Act. Under the Act they were required to furnish returns of then holdings to the Collector, who after enquiries determined the surplus lands and took them over in possession. Those lands shall afterwards vest in the State Government. The Act also provides for payment of compensation to the holders at specified rates and for distribution of surplus lands to landless or other persons in the prescribed order of priority.

The Bombay prevention of Frgmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1947.

The provisions of the Bombay Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act. 1947, were applied to the district in 1948. the provisions prohibit any type or fragment and at the same time they aim at the consolidation of fragmented holdings, which implies an exchange or redistribution of land. The enactment further provides a definite procedure to implement the provisions in a manner that will ensure the persons concerned a fair deal.

Accordingly the land has been classified as dry crop land, bagayat land and rice land and the standard areas for these three; categories have been specified as minimum necessary for profitable cultivation under the Act. The range of the standard area in the district varies between 20 gunthas and an acre at different places on the basis of classification of land. The implementation of the Act is thus mainly based on the determination of the standard area which takes into account the economic size of the plot and not of a holding which may be composed of several plots. Such plots pool into an economic unit of cultivation. The standard areas which may vary in accordance with the productivity of soil and the cost of cultivation are as follows: -

All plots of land less in area than the standard area are treated as fragments and their transfer except to holders of contiguous plots is prohibited.

For the speedy implementation of the scheme the district is divided into two divisions, viz., Dhulia and Nandurbar. The Dhulia division comprises Dhulia, Sakri and Shirpur talukas while the Nandurbar division includes Nandurbar, Nawapur, Sindkheda, Shahada. Taloda, Akkalkuwa and Akrani talukas. The Consolidation Officers in charge of Dhulia and Nandurbar divisions are assisted by three and seven Assistant Consolidation Officers respectively. The details about the achievements made under the scheme upto 31st March 1967 are given in table No. 13.

TABLE No. 12

QUINQUENNIAL STATEMENT OF HOLDINGS IN GOVERNMENT RAYATWARI AREA IN DHULIA DISTRICT (TALUKA-WISE)

contd.

contd.

Figures in brackets indicate area in acres. Information for Sakri taluka is not available.

contd.

Figures in brackets indicate area in acres. Information for Sakri taluka is not available.

TABLE NO. 13

 PROGRESS OF CONSOLIDATION WORK IN DHULIA DISTRICT, 1967

contd.

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