THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the state is undertaking a massive peoples’ movement to convert maximum fallow land into cultivable land, agricultural officers deputed for the task are often at the receiving end of a few reluctant landowners. Besides facing threats, some of the officers have cases of trespassing and destruction of crops slapped against them by people who intend to thwart the movement.
Take for instance a few successful initiatives towards the reclamation of fallow land that have earned state-wide attention. With the active participation of local people, the agricultural office at Kazhakkoottam in Thiruvananthapuram managed to increase by over four times the cultivation of paddy under its limits. The remarkable feat of increasing paddy cultivation from below 12 acres to over 52 acres at Amballoor and Pattuvilakam paddy fields was achieved in less than four years.
As part of the movement, an additional five acres of fallow land was also reclaimed for cultivation recently. The initiative hit the headlines as the entire stretch of paddy fields was located within city limits. Besides, it also brought a solution to the drinking water woes of local residents, as groundwater levels began to rise. However, the success story did have undesirable twists too.
Owners of land that was intended to be converted into real-estate plots turned up against the Agriculture Department staff. Landowners in the vicinity have filed three cases, accusing officers of trespass and destruction of crops. “If left as paddy field, the land would fetch just above ` 50,000 per cent. After filling it up with earth, the value rises up to Rs 5 lakh. This is the prime reason for the opposition,” said a local resident of Chanthavila ward where large tracts of fallow land are being reclaimed.
According to Shaji R, general secretary of Association of Agricultural Officers, Kerala, instances of false cases being foisted against officers who take the extra initiative were a state-wide phenomenon. “With the recent launch of the Subhiksha Keralam project, the situation has undergone a slight change. Now, panchayats take an active role,” he said. Agriculture Department staff have urged local bodies to give sufficient backing to all projects of the department so that initiatives are seen as part of a people’s movement.
PROMOTING PADDY CULTIVATION
Total extent of paddy cultivation: Nearly 2 lakh hectares
Fallow land converted over last 4 years: 50,000 hectares