(a) the total area of barren land, dry/ wet land in the country, category-wise and State/UT-wise;
(b) the steps taken or proposed to be taken to make these wastelands fertile;
(c) whether the Government proposes to distribute these lands to the tribals or poor landless people of the country in order to provide them livelihood; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)
(a) & (b): Area of barren and unculturable land in the country during 2013-14 as per ‘LAND USE STATISTICS AT A GLANCE 2004-05 TO 2013-14’ (2016) is about 16.95 million hectare. State / UT-wise details are given in Annexure.
Information on dry / wet land in the country is not centrally maintained.
Under the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) Department of Land Resources is implementing 8214 watershed development projects in 28 States (except Goa) covering an area of about 39.07 million hectare principally for development of rainfed portions of net cultivated area and culturable wastelands. The activities being undertaken inter alia include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rain water harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihoods for assetless persons, etc.
In addition, other Central Ministries / Departments like Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare are implementing schemes and programmes like the Per Drop More Crop component of PMKSY which inter alia includes activities for water conservation, drought proofing, water harvesting, ground water recharge, etc.
(c) & (d): As per Entry 18 and Entry 45 of List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the subject of ‘Land’ and its management falls in the jurisdiction of the States. There is no such proposal in the Department of Land Resources.
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