Governor signs Ordinance on Karnataka land reforms

Governor Vajubhai Vala signed the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, on Monday.

The Ordinance brings sweeping changes to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961, essentially easing restrictions on buying agricultural land, on who can buy it and the ceiling on extent of land one can hold. The amendment drops Sections 79A, 79B and 79C of the Act that imposed stringent restrictions on ownership of agricultural land.

The Ordinance faced stiff resistance from the Opposition Congress that termed it “unmaking of land reforms in the State”, even as the BJP argued that it opens up agriculture sector for “those with a passion for it, much needed for its revival”. However, even farmer organisations vociferously opposed the amendments and recently wrote to Mr. Vala requesting him not to sign the Ordinance.

This ordinance comes close on the heels of another ordinance which allowed private mandis and wholesale markets outside Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), essentially abolishing it's monopoly in agriculture market, also opposed by farmer groups and political opposition.