Status of Tenancy in Uttar Pradesh : Some Facts from the Field

Abstract

There are conflicting views of the scholars about the role of tenancy in agricultural development. One section of the scholars believe that tenancy runs under exploitative terms and is based mostly on oral contracts without any security of lease. An opposite view has also emerged among the scholars who find tenancy as an effective means of increasing land access to the poor, redistributing the gains of agricultural development, empowering tenants and improving their bargaining power. In the light of conflicting views about tenancy, it becomes important to empirically examine the issue in its various dimensions and to solicit the views of stakeholders at the ground level. The present paper is mainly based on a survey of 43 tenants in Lakhimpur district, 56 tenants in Hardoi district, 60 tenants in Sultanpur district, 50 tenants in Etah district and 49 tenants in Jhansi district in the State of Uttar Pradesh. The analysis of NSS data has indicated that despite the legislative regulations and restrictions on the tenancy, it is being widely practised in U.P. as well as in India. The percentage of leased-in area in total area has remained constant around 10 per cent in U.P during 1980-81 to 2002-03. The socio- economic conditions of sample tenants have revealed that majority of them belonged to backward castes followed by scheduled castes; while very few tenants were from upper castes. Agriculture was the main occupation of about 60 per cent of tenants while about 20 of them were rural labourers. Average land leased-in per household was 1.61 acres which was higher than the land owned per household (1.19 acres). The leased-in land did provide an average annual income of ₹ 5163 per household, which accounted for 22.34 per cent of average annual income per household. Majority of landlords who rented-out their land also belonged to Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and around half of them were engaged in agriculture and rest were engaged in service and trade professions. All lease agreements were oral. The length of lease was generally of short duration. In most of the cases duration of lease was of 1 to 2 years. The terms of lease were generally decided according to the prevalent lease practices in the area. The dominant form of leasing was based on the sharing of produce and cost on 50:50 basis. Generally the cost of fertilisers and irrigation was shared on 50-50 per cent basis between tenants and landlords. The practice of leasingin on the basis of cash payment was also found to be emerging in some districts. Insecurity of lease contract was the most serious problem perceived by tenants. About one-third of tenants have reported the taking of loan from land owners for production or consumption purposes. One-fourth of the tenants have reported that their land owners sought undue favour in lieu of leasing-in of land to them in the form of payment of lower wages for their labour. Majority of tenants who were interviewed expressed the view that tenancy should be legalised. Reforms in tenancy laws is the need of the hour which will be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned and will certainly promote inclusive growth.