Jharkhand to bring legislation to protect farmland

Jharkhand government has been planning to bring a legislation to protect the farmland from being acquired for industry, state agriculture minister Mathura Prasad Mahto said today.
    
"We have been working to formulate an act on the lines of Chhotanagarpur and Santhal Paragana Tenancy Act that protects the land of adivasis," Mahto said at a two-day seminar on "Possibility of cashew production in Jharkhand" organised by state government and Tata Steel.
    
"The state government was committed to protect the agriculture land in Jharkhand and wanted to prevent industries to procure these lands," he said.

He said state government would look into the complaints of agriculture land being taken for industrial purposes.
    
Meanwhile, he said Jharkhand government has initiated steps to ensure sufficient water supply to the agriculture land to increase production.
    
State government has targeted to dig 1000 wells and rejuvenate half of the government-owned ponds and set up bore wells, he said.
    
Referring the sugarcane production in Jharkhand, the minister said presently, sugarcane production in the state was negligible.
  
The government has identified some districts including Garwah, Palamu, Sahebgunj and Chatra, where sugarcane production has enough potential, Mahto said.