Based on readers' suggestions and talks with sociologists and politicians, HindustanTimes.com explores how to stimulate Bihar's stagnant agriculture.
What the politicians say
Work to lessen the impact of annual floods and drought. Harness rain and river water to improve irrigation. Make good use of ground water, whose level is higher than average in Bihar. Make fertilizers, and the right kind, available to farmers at cheap rates. Set up, train and support self-help groups in villages. Promote gram panchayats and invite private investment.
What sociologists say
Land reforms are a must. The agricultural society has to be rid of its caste-based structure. Follow the example of West Bengal and Kerala. The NGO sector should be made more active. People should take the onus upon themselves to build canals, tube wells and other requisite infrastructure.
What the common man says
Provide rural areas with infrastructure. Build roads and dams and give farmers electricity. Set up an independent study on how to deal with land disputes, water scarcity and poor mechanisation. Improve storage and transportation facilities and provide a mechanism for farmers to sell their produce directly in markets, rather than to middlemen. Implement land reforms.
Finally, educate people to change the "value system" in rural areas, where "working" is considered menial by upper castes.
With nearly three-fourths of Bihar's population dependent on agriculture, agrarian reforms will be a major step towards the state's development.
Implementing Land Reforms
The survey of agrarian land, a prerequisite for land reforms, must be accorded top priority to set the ball rolling. Most land holdings are sets of separate plots, sometimes numbering as many as 20 - making it impossible for a farmer to employ uniform farming techniques on his entire holding. "Chakbandi", or giving compact blocks of land to farmers in exchange for their dispersed holdings, must be carried out to ensure optimal utilisation of land.
Land ceiling laws have to be implemented rigorously and the rural society made more egalitarian. The process has been successful in many Indian states - including West Bengal which had a rural structure much similar to Bihar's. There is no reason why it can't be done in Bihar as well. Instead of threatening seizure, the government can offer incentives to landlords for giving up land above the ceiling limit, while substantially raising the tax on surplus land to make the incentive offer even more attractive.