Why changes to Karnataka’s Land Reforms Act may worsen the agrarian crisis

Land Reforms

Allowing non-agriculturalists to buy agricultural land will spell disaster for the state's farmers who are largely dependent on money-lenders for credit.

Mudassir Husain

Image for representation

It is no secret that Karnataka has been battling an agrarian crisis for quite some time now. Unavailability of water, failing crops, fluctuating prices of agricultural produce and mounting credit have put enormous pressure on farmers. In the period between 2014 and 2019, Karnataka has seen over 4,500 farmer suicides: a shocking average of two suicides per day.   According to one estimate, Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) related to agriculture have grown by 900% in the period between 2010 and 2018. Further, agricultural NPAs constituted 36% of all bad loans in Karnataka in FY 2018-2019. With the prevailing issues in Karnataka’s agriculture sector, we must be very watchful of any changes brought in by the government, which can have potential implications on the industry.  Economic slow-down and the rise in unemployment has prompted state governments in many states to liberalise laws and regulations in a bid to attract investment. Amongst other things, the tedious procedures and existing impediments related to acquisition, conversion and transfer of land are considered to be major bottlenecks obstructing investment flow into the state.  Relaxing norms to help industries  In an attempt to address this issue, the Government of Karnataka recently passed an amendment to Section 109 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961, allowing for the sale of agricultural land, purchased for the setting up industries, after a period of seven years; this option was not available earlier.  Further, such projects which have been cleared by the State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) shall now be exempt from the provisions of Section 63, 79A, 79B and 80 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961. These sections acted as safeguards to farmers by keeping a check on the alienation and transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturalists. It is also proposed to bring down the time-frame for land conversion from 60 days to 30 days.  Allowing non-agriculturalists to buy agricultural land Farmers have always been considered a vulnerable group and as such, they have been provided with various safeguards to protect their interests. Measures such as levying of custom duties on the import of agricultural produce, fixing of Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and restrictions on buying of agricultural land by non-agriculturalists have afforded farmers with protection from market forces.  The recent proposed amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act seek to take away some of these protections enjoyed by farmers. While the government insists that these amendments are in favour of farmers, it is imperative that we review the possible implications of these changes before arriving at a conclusion.  The Government of Karnataka seeks to repeal Sections 63, 79A, 79B and 80 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 by introducing an Amendment Bill in the next Assembly session.  Furthering his argument in support of such change, the Revenue Minister contended that this move will help high salaried professionals procure agricultural land in Karnataka and that it will result in the technological advancement of the agriculture industry. Further, it is contended that farmers will be able to secure a better price for their existing land due to a rise in demand for agricultural lands.  While all that may be true to an extent, the vulnerability of distressed farmers cannot be disregarded. The rising suicides and NPAs suggest that currently, farmers are faced with a deep crisis. With the proposed changes, these distressed farmers may get lured by the economic opportunity to sell their land and may end up landless and without a source of livelihood.  Section 80 of the Act specifically barred the transfer of land through sales, including sales in execution of a decree of a civil court, or mortgage in favor of a person who is not an agriculturalist or who doesn’t satisfy such other conditions contained therein.  By repealing it, the government is jeopardizing the security and ownership of the land currently enjoyed by farmers. It is a well-known fact that farmers avail a major percentage of their credit from money-lenders. Once the proposed changes are implemented, farmers will be at the mercy of these money lenders who shall then be allowed to take possession of the mortgaged property. Furthermore, farmers may be forced to sell their land in execution of a civil court decree or to recover the arrears of land revenue.   Landless labourers  The proposed changes will mainly induce small and distressed farmers to sell their lands, while big farmers will make use of the higher ceiling limits and further consolidate their landholdings. It is very likely that if the proposed changes are implemented, the rural population may see a rise in the number of landless labourers. The employment opportunities for landless labourers are scarce as agricultural jobs are seasonal in nature. While the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has provided some relief by offering 100 days of guaranteed work, most labourers still prefer to migrate to cities in search of more stable jobs.  COVID-19 has exposed the extreme vulnerabilities of these migrant workers. In the absence of a proper regulatory framework, the government found it extremely difficult to cater to the needs of migrant workers. Any substantial addition to the number of migrant workers will only make matters worse. Relegating farmers to landless labourers, a very probable outcome of the proposed changes to the Act, is a scary scenario which must be vehemently opposed. Need to balance the interest of farmers with industrial growth The falling economic growth rate and rising unemployment, especially after COVID-19, call for drastic measures to attract investments and promote industrial growth. However, the same cannot be achieved at the cost of farmers. The government needs to find a proper balance between the two. The supposed ‘reform’ intended to help farmers may prove to be counterproductive if implemented at a time when the industry is experiencing severe distress. Farmers in desperate need of money may find it convenient to sell their lands without consideration for the long-term implications; thus, reinforcing the need for protection of farmers’ interests by the government.  Farmers will continue to be vulnerable until the issues affecting their income are addressed. Measures such as better irrigation facilities, lesser dependency on rain, higher Minimum Support Prices, availability of low-interest credit, effective crop insurances, and easier access to export their produce will go a long way in ensuring the self-sustainability of farmers. Until farmers reach this stage wherein they can make well-informed and independent decisions, it would be imprudent to go forward with the proposed changes; especially, in the absence of a framework to manage landless labourers.   Views expressed are the author's own. Mudassir Husain is an advocate practicing in Bengaluru who takes a keen interest in public policy.

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‘No access to laptops, costly internet’: How online classes violate fundamental RTE

Education

While government schools have not even started online classes, parents who send children to private schools are struggling due to lack of technological support.

Theja Ram

PTI : Image for representation

After the Karnataka government issued an order allowing online classes for students from Class 6 onwards, several parents lauded the move. While online learning requires technological support like smartphones, tablets or laptops, not every parent in Karnataka can afford the luxury and activists say that the move blatantly violates the fundamental right to education, as per Article 21-A of the Constitution of India.  Moreover, only those children studying in private educational institutes have online classes, while government schools have not started online courses. Parents fear that their children would be left behind, while other students continue to learn.  No access to smartphones, laptops Sangamitra is a 37-year-old homemaker and a resident of Kalgi village in Kalaburagi district. She has two children in classes 6 and 8, who study at a private school in Gotur, which is located nearby. Sangamitra’s husband Murali, works as a mason and has a smartphone.  As the lockdown rendered him without a job, he has been working at a local grocery store as an assistant, whose job also entails running errands for his employer. Both Murali and Sangamitra have smartphones. However, for online classes, the children are able to use only their mother’s phone as Murali needs his phone to keep in touch with his employer every day, while he is at work.  “My children are attending classes on alternate days. Both of them are missing out on lessons. They complain that they can’t understand what is happening in class. The teachers have also said that we have to either buy an extra phone or laptop or they will have shortage of attendance. Getting access to the internet is also not easy and the mobile signal is very patchy here. We also end up spending a lot of money on internet recharge so my husband is working a lot more now,” Sangamitra says.  Similarly, in Chikkaballapur district’s Bashettihalli village, Praveen, a 40-year-old farmer, is facing similar issues. His daughter, who is in class 8, attends online classes at home. As his wife passed away three years ago, he is a single parent. “I have to go and work on the farm every day. I leave my phone behind. But the problem here is that on most days I have to take it with me. Especially when I am going to the bank or going to buy fertiliser. My daughter is also missing out on classes,” he says.  Internet bills too costly Sangamitra says that she initially got a data plan of Rs 219 per month, which offers 1GB data per day, assuming it would suffice. However, she said that the data gets over within two hours of usage and has now turned to topping up her internet recharge once a day. This is costing her many times more than what she had paid for the monthly pack as she now has to shell out Rs 48 per day for the internet.  “That is also not enough. For subjects like Science and Mathematics, they have to turn on the video option. That takes up more data. If it is a subject like Kannada or English, then I have advised my children to only listen to the audio. But they are finding it very hard because they say they cannot understand or pay attention,” she says. Sangamitra’s husband is the sole breadwinner of the family and currently earns Rs 10,000 per month. In addition to paying school fees, the internet bills, she says, are taking up a large chunk out of what they can afford to spend per month.  Similarly, Revathi, a 36-year-old woman, employed as a cook in Bengaluru, says that she, too, is struggling to help her children attend online classes. Revathi had to sell one of the two gold bangles she owned to buy a smartphone for her son, who is studying in class 7 at a private school in KR Puram.  “I never used smartphones. I have a small mobile which I use to make calls to my family in Ballari and also to keep in touch with my employers. I don’t even know how to use a smartphone. Although I bought the phone, we have to spend money on the internet. 1GB or 2GB per day is not enough. Downloading assignments itself takes up so much data. I have to keep recharging the data pack once in three days. I earn Rs 7000 per month and spending Rs 1000 on the internet is too expensive,” she adds.  No online classes for government school students Jayaram Satish, a farmer and RTE activist in Bashettihalli in Chikkaballapur, has a daughter  in Class 7, who studies in the local government school. Jayaram said that unlike students in private schools, who have already started classes, his daughter has been left behind.  “The children who can afford phones, internet and computers are all learning. The government has not even informed us when classes will start. How will my daughter keep up with the others who have already started studying?” Jayaram asks.  Difficult to learn online Right to Education (RTE) activists that TNM spoke to said that for children from impoverished families, online learning has become a daunting task as these children are struggling to pay attention and also do their assignments.  While in rural areas, not all families can afford laptops or computers, children in private schools have been attending online classes via smartphones. But the real challenge is typing out assignments on their phones, says RTE activist Naga Simha.  “Many parents have complained about how their children take two hours to do an assignment, which could have been completed in 30 minutes generally. Schools are asking them to submit typed assignments. Typing on the computer is easier but on the phone, they make mistakes, and it takes longer for children to type as well. Besides, many of them are also complaining about their children having constant headaches and eye pain,” Naga Simha adds.  Online classes violate right to education Renukamma HM, a lecturer at First Grade Government Degree College in Siddlaghatta, who is also an RTE activist, maintains that the state government has not taken into account that online learning has turned education into a luxury, when it is actually a fundamental right.  “Government schools don’t have online classes. While some children continue learning, the ones from economically weaker sections, who really need education, don’t have the same chance. This blatantly violates Article 21-A of the Constitution, which states that education is a fundamental right. The government should either come up with a plan to sort out logistical issues or stop these classes altogether,” she adds.  She further states that many children are first generation learners, which is making online learning extremely difficult. “Before the lockdown, teachers had to ensure all children were attending classes. Now that many parents do not have money to buy phones and laptops, children are just dropping out. Teachers are instructing parents to ensure that their children are learning properly. How will a parent with no education ensure this. I have two children too and I know how hard it can be for an educated person to ensure this,” Renukamma adds. 

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K’taka govt directs private unaided schools not to hike fees for 2020-21 academic year

Education

The circular issued by the state government pointed to requests made by parents of children studying in private unaided schools in the state.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government on Friday directed private unaided schools to not increase school fees for the 2020-21 academic year. A circular issued by the state education department warned of action if schools increased fees in the upcoming year.  The circular issued by the state government pointed to requests made by parents of children studying in private unaided schools in the state. The parents urged the state government to pass an order against hiking school fees due to the financial crisis over the coronavirus outbreak in India. D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka told The Hindu that some schools had already hiked the fees, which is not acceptable at this time. As per The Indian Express, more than 900 schools in Bengaluru had increased tuition fees with most of the complaints coming from schools in southern Bengaluru.   In its circular, the Karnataka government said that if school managements collect higher tuition fees in comparison to the fees collected in the academic year 2019-20, action will be taken by the government under the Karnataka Education Act 1983. As per the Act, the government has the powers to fix or cap tuition fees at private unaided schools in the state. The state government cited financial difficulties faced by people for the move to restrict private unaided schools from hiking school fees.  Earlier, the Karnataka government barred online live classes and virtual classes for students up to class 5. While the state education department categorically barred online live classes, it is deliberating on guidelines for recorded classes for primary school students.  Schools are currently shut in Karnataka and there are no guidelines issued yet on the reopening of schools. The class 10 board exam scheduled to start from June 25 is set to go ahead with students asked to wear masks and maintain distancing while attending the exam.         

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Karnataka issues SOP for admitting COVID-19 patients in private hospitals

Coronavirus

The SOP mandates that the district surveillance officer should be first informed before further procedures are initiated.

IANS

The Karnataka Health Department has issued guidelines on the admission of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals after clinical assessment, mandating that the district surveillance officer (DSO) should be first informed to initiate further procedures, an official said on Friday. "A health team sent by the DSO should visit the home or hospital where the patient is staying. The team should conduct a rapid assessment of his or her health condition," said Karnataka's Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar. In the rapid health condition assessment, the team should first check the patient's body temperature, followed by SpO2 (oxygen saturation) level and confirm if there are any comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, HIV, cancer, stroke etc. Depending on the health condition of patients, Akhtar said, two categories have been made. "Those who have body temperature greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius, SpO2 level below 94 percent, elderly (above 60 years) and suffering from known comorbid conditions should be taken to a dedicated Covid hospital (DCH)," he said. "All other patients, even if older but not suffering from co-morbidities, those below 60 and suffering from co-morbidities and asymptomatic cases should be taken to a dedicated Covid health centre (DCHC) or a private hospital as opted by the patient," he added. Private hospitals have been asked to pitch in due to the rising number of cases in Karnataka. Currently, there are 2943 active cases in the state after 337 cases were reported on Friday. "The patients are assessed clinically and evaluated at DCHCs or private hospitals with appropriate diagnostic tests. After evaluation, if the patients are asymptomatic, they are shifted to a COVID Care Centre (CCC) for further management," said Akhtar. CCCs are expected to be equipped with ventilated rooms, pulse oximeters, handheld thermal scanners and blood pressure apparatus. A nurse has to be present round the clock for every 50 patients and should visit each patient twice a day for assessment whereas the medical officer has to visit the CCC once a day. He should also be available on call in case of an emergency. Staff serving food and others should wear personal protective equipment and an N-95 mask. Explaining the procedures at DCHCs, Akhtar said general examinations for medical conditions like body temperature, BP, pulse, oxygen saturation and urine output should be in place. Investigations such as complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, random blood sugar, liver function tests, renal function tests, ECG and chest X-ray facilities should be available. "DCHCs should ensure that above examinations are over in an orderly timeline of 24 hours and depending on the examination, the patient is continued to be lodged at the DCHC or sent to DCH or CCC," said the senior officer. Likewise, the discharge policy should be done as per the protocols issued by the Health Department from time to time. The Karnataka government is yet to fix an upper limit on the cost of treating COVID-19 patients in private hospitals. While reports indicated that this could be capped at Rs 5200 per day, health officials are yet to specify this is the case. Private hospitals in the state have asked the government to take a collaborative approach in deciding the fixed cap on treatment cost.   

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Bengaluru reports 138 new COVID-19 cases, 7 new deaths

Coronavirus

While 230 patients have recovered, 5,210 are currently under treatment in Karnataka.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image

A total of 337 new patients in Karnataka have tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday. Of this, 138 are from Bengaluru Urban alone.  With this, the total number of positive cases in the state crossed the 8,000-mark and went up to 8,281. A total of 230 patients have recovered. Among the 5,210 patients who are currently under treatment in the state, 72 patients are being treated in the intensive care units or are on ventilator support. With 138 new cases, Bengaluru has emerged as the worst-affected district, which has recorded 982 positive cases so far. A total of 531 patients are under treatment.  Bengaluru is followed by Kalaburagi with 52 new cases and Ballari with another 37 cases. Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Devanagaere and Bidar districts have reported 13, 12, 11 and 10 new cases respectively. All other districts in the state reported less than seven cases. Among the 337 news cases on Friday, 104 were those who returned from other countries and states. Until recently, foreign and other state returnees were among the major chunk of the daily load of cases.  The cases in Bengaluru Among the 138 cases in Bengaluru city, 28 patients are contacts of already infected patients. Nine were interstate returnees.   A high number of patients are those with influenza-like illness (ILI), followed by 33 persons with no relevant travel or contact history. There are 30 patients suffering from severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Four are patients with interdistrict travel history. So, 101 patients who reported positive on Friday do not have any relevant out of state travel or contact history. In total, Bengaluru has recorded 982 positive cases so far, of which 531 patients are under treatment. 10 new fatalities Ten new COVID-19 deaths were also reported across the state on Friday, with eight from Bengaluru city. A 45-year-old man from Bidar is the youngest among the deceased. He was brought dead to the hospital on June 11 after he complained of SARI, fever and breathlessness. Among the deaths reported from Bengaluru, three were below 60 years. Two men — 50 and 58 years old — succumbed to the disease after being diagnosed with SARI. Another 54-year-old man died on the same day he was admitted to the hospital after complaining of fever and cough.

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Madhya Pradesh-bound migrant families from Bengaluru stranded in Gorakhpur

Migrant worker

While the families of migrant workers say they were misguided, authorities claim that the workers boarded the train of their own volition.

Soumya Chatterjee

Around 30 men, women and children native to multiple districts in Madhya Pradesh, who boarded a Shramik train from Bengaluru on June 16, were left stranded in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh on Friday morning. Families of the migrant workers and social activists said that they had been misled by state government authorities while boarding the train; however, officials claimed that the migrant workers ‘knowingly boarded the trains’ and said that they would manage their way (to their destination). Isha Pant IPS, the nodal officer i-charge of overseeing the return of migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, denied that the migrant workers had been misled.  “It was very clear that the train won't go via Madhya Pradesh. They (the migrant workers) thought that since the train is going to UP, they will manage to go to MP. So this has happened in the past as well, when people from Chhattisgarh wanted to board trains to Madhya Pradesh saying that they will manage the remaining part of the journey. So this is what must have happened,” the officer told TNM.  The IPS officer added that she came to know about the latest incident through activists and has subsequently informed her counterpart in Madhya Pradesh about this. She said, “I have already spoken to the Madhya Pradesh government nodal officer and he is trying to get something done.” Two persons, among those stranded in Gorakhpur, said that they were told by the police in Palace Grounds, Bengaluru where they were staying, that they can deboard the train at Bhopal. As widely reported, this is not the first time that the issue of the return of migrant workers from Karnataka has run into difficulties. The Karnataka High Court too has pulled up the state government over its actions on the matter. Read: ‘Exercise to exclude migrants’: HC slams Karnataka govt for SMS fiasco Sonu Saket, a migrant worker, said that he and others had filled a form to board a train to Madhya Pradesh. He was then told to board the train which ultimately left them stranded in Gorakhpur.  “But we got to know that the train won’t go to Bhopal only after it had crossed Andhra Pradesh. Now, we don’t have anybody to help us. Authorities here are telling us to get out of the station and we have not had any food since last night,” he said. Sonu and others, including women and children, are now forced to find ways to arrange the homeward journey of more than 350 km on their own. Ram Lal, coordinator of one of the stranded migrant workers’ groups, said 11 of the 30-odd persons are now arranging a private bus to take them to Allahabad.  “It will cost us around Rs 7,000 to reach there and then, we will again have to figure out a way to go home. 11 of us are from the districts of Rewa, Satna and Sidhi,” Ram Lal told TNM. He added that the other group had managed to get a train at 5 pm. TNM also accessed communication between the state government and the Railways, which stated that the train, which left from Mysuru and went via Bengaluru, was not slated to go via Madhya Pradesh at all. The issue came to light when some activists of the NGO Swaraj Abhiyan in Bengaluru got distress calls from migrant workers.  The stranded workers with whom TNM spoke said that they have divided themselves into two groups and are arranging their own travel home. R Kaleem Ullah of Swaraj Abhiyan said, “The state government cannot wash their hands off their responsibility. It is only the police department which have been forced to tackle the situation single-handedly while other departments, like Labour and the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), relied fully on social workers to manage the situation leading to distress and confusion.”

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