BENGALURU: Strongly defending the government’s decision to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act to allow non-agriculturalists to buy agricultural land, Revenue Minister R Ashok on Tuesday said the proposed changes will help farm as well as industrial growth in Karnataka.
The minister said since the Assembly is not in session, they are contemplating about implementing the reforms through an ordinance, which will be issued within the next 10 days. “We will discuss it with the Chief Minister and the ordinance will be issued soon,” Ashok said while addressing members and affiliated associations of KASSIA in Bengaluru.
The amendments to Sections 79 A, B and 80 of the Act will remove the “unnecessary hurdles in purchase of land” by non-agriculturists for legitimate purposes, he said, adding that there is a need to develop agriculture and also help industries grow.
Stating that Gujarat is doing much better compared to Karnataka in terms of export of agricultural produce, the minister said the proposed changes will help in setting up processing units in rural areas, thereby helping improve agriculture exports, generate employment opportunities and also boost economic activities.
Dismissing apprehensions that big firms will purchase lands from small farmers, the minister felt it will help many agriculture university graduates to take up farming. “We can provide employment to only 5 per cent of graduates coming from agriculture universities every year. What will the remaining 95 per cent graduates do with all the knowledge about agriculture if they cannot even purchase agricultural land?” he asked. KASSIA president R Raju said the reforms will help improve the state’s agricultural exports and generate employment opportunities in rural areas.