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Ever since sub-letting was made illegl at the time of the abolition of the Zamindari system, except in certain cases in the early fifties in U.P., tenancy has gone underground. The bulk of agricultural land was, by and large, owned by the higher castes who were not traditionally agricultursts and who considered mnual labour degrading. Touching the plough was taboo for them in the eastern part of the state. Agriculture was not very profitable then and sub-letting was extensively resorted to as there was a widespread land hunger. The highly skewed distrybution of land on the supply side and a rising landless population on the demand side reinforced the phenomenon. With the introduction of a new agricultural technology, the extension of irrigation technbology, the extension of irrigation facilities, the introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural machinery, the extension of credit, storage and marketing facilities together with price support for agricultural commodities and an improvement in the terms of trade etc, the situation has changed considerably. The productivity of land has increased and agriculture is now a profitable proposition. THe imperative to lease out land has declined as the area under personal cultivation can be profitably increased on the part of those who reside in the village itself. Non-resident owners may prefer hired labourers to obviate the risks of tenancy. On the other hand land hunger continues unabated. The present work attempts to study the phenomenon of concealed tenacny as it is emerging in eastern U.P. in the context of the dynamics of the new agricultural technology, and analyses the response of lessees and lessors in the new situation. It brings to light the policy imlications necessary for ensuring land to the tiller and the wider issue of equitable distribution of the gains of development. This volume is a frank and forthright analysis, of the situation if this nirthern state which also serves as an expose of what is really happening there. A book that should have a wide readership among students of agriculture, economists, planners, policy makers administratiors at all levels and the lay reader.ISBN:000000104X
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Pages : 148
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