People’s Land Resource Unit (PLRU in short) will be established under the aegis of the School For Democracy, Bheem (Rajasthan). It has been felt over these years that Land and its issues have taken a back seat in governance whereas agriculture continues to play a vital role in the national economy. Common pool l resources like forests, common lands, water bodies etc. are becoming scarce and inaccessible to common man. Land management, being the subject of the State List under the constitutional scheme, the State Governments have enacted the laws which came in to force just after independence also need a review in the existing scenario. There are not many institutions in the country which are dedicatedly dealing with land and issues related thereto. In this situation, creating a land resource unit in rural Rajasthan will certainly bring hope and light to the land matters which are otherwise in oblivion.
The following Activities, inter alia, will be undertaken under the Land Resource Unit:
- To spread the land literacy through training programmes
- To organize short term seminars, symposia on issues related to Land ( Land acquisition, mining, urban commons, Rights of women, redefining agricultural ceiling, common lands, crop insurance, minimum support price, farm loans, maintenance of Land Records and their online accessibility )
- To conduct research and impact studies pertaining to matters related to land
- Advocacy for influencing the policies of the Government and amendment in Laws related to land and tenancies
- To collaborate with Governments and other organizations on land related matters/policies
- Organizing land clinics and spreading awareness in light of the Judgments of the High Courts and the Apex Court
- Intervening through filing Public Interest Litigation in the High Courts and the Supreme Court on Policy matters based on research.
- Publishing reports and hand outs
The span of work of the PLRU will evolve with passage of time and response of the stakeholders but at the onset, It has been envisaged that the Land Resource Unit will function as a field laboratory wherein the gaps between the legal provisions and the ground realities will be identified and documented. The Unit will also work to submit its recommendations to the Government which have emerged after serious deliberations in seminars, symposiums and consultations with diverse groups.. It will also make endeavours to improve the quality of service delivery to the farmer community and in updation of land records. The basic aim of establishing this unit is to make focused efforts to persuade the Government/s to make/ amend the laws, rules etc farmer centric and to bring higher degree of transparency in sharing the land records.