B.R. Patil writes to Rahul Gandhi seeking intervention to restore safeguards for agricultural lands
Congress legislator B.R. Patil has urged Rahul Gandhi to intervene in restoring land reform safeguards in Karnataka. These reforms, which previously restricted non-agriculturalists from purchasing farmland, were repealed in 2021, leading to significant land sales.
Why it matters
The issue highlights the ongoing tension between agricultural land preservation and economic liberalization, impacting food security and the livelihoods of small farmers.
Senior Congress legislator B.R. Patil has written to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi seeking his intervention “to restore adequate safeguards governing the purchase and holding of agricultural lands.” This comes days after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, responding to a question raised by Mr. Patil in the Assembly, said there was “no proposal before the government to reinstate sections 79-A, 79-B, and 79-C of Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961.”
These sections, introduced in 1974 as part of the land reforms during D. Devraj Urs’s tenure, barred non-agriculturalists from buying agriculture land in the State and were repealed by the previous BJP regime in 2021, then opposed by the Congress.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in