By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala cabinet is all set to pass a path-breaking bill this week that will ensure paddy fields cannot be converted into land for other purposes.
Agricultural Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran told IANS: “Over the years, the manner in which paddy cultivation has dwindled has been a serious cause for concern. The prime reason for this is the use of existing paddy fields for other activities such as construction.
“With the new bill that would be piloted (in the assembly session) next month, such things will not happen any more,” said Ratnakaran.
Figures provided by the State Planning Board indicate the area under paddy cultivation came down from 347,000 hectares in 2000-01 to 276,000 hectares in the last fiscal.
The production of rice also came down from 751,000 tonnes to 630,000 tonnes during the same period.
Ratnakaran added that the proposed bill would spell out severe action against those who convert paddy fields to other usage.
“We propose to ensure that severe punishment, including up to three years’ imprisonment, would be handed out to those who violate the law. Paddy fields that are not being cultivated would be taken over by the district administration and handed over to those who come forward to cultivate paddy,” said the minister.
Over the years, the state government has been trying to improve farm productivity by promoting high-yielding varieties. Group farming on an experimental basis has also begun in several places.
“We expect that agencies like Kudumbasree and others will come forward to take up farming in such areas. Another feature of this new bill is that the environment would also be protected because currently we see that whenever heavy rains hit the state, flash floods occur. If we had the large extent of paddy fields like earlier, water would have been stored,” added the minister.