- Bid to fulfil the poll promise of two acres to each landless family-but constrained by limited acreage
- Unutilised public land is being given to the poor with no holdings. Regularising encroached lands.
- Fallow land owned by the poor made cultivable, returned
- Flayed for sidelining the Dalits
- Rich encroachers 'not penalised'
The National Sample Survey Organisation data ranks Tamil Nadu fourth among states with landless households—with 17 per cent landless families. Most Dalits, who form 19 per cent of the state's population, are landless and poor. That they don't seem to top the priority list in the distribution scheme is another criticism. According to D. Ravikumar, MLA with Dalit Panthers, "Legalising the illegal occupation of the poromboke land forms a major part of the scheme. This mostly benefits those belonging to the backward and landholding castes who already own land and occupy the wasteland in villages—not the Dalits."
Puthiya Tamizhagam leader K. Krishnasamy finds one thing ironic: Way back in 1871, the British had distributed 3 lakh acres of 'panchami' land to the Dalits. These lands have been alienated from Dalits and no government wants to restore rightful possession. "Forget new lands, the old ones we got are being misappropriated," he says.
Issues related to land have frequently cropped up during the DMK's rule. Last year, the government was forced to drop its ambitious plan to build a satellite town at Thiruporur, south of Chennai. The satellite town was to decongest and act as a spiller for the main city. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a DMK ally, opposed the project, saying it would affect 5 lakh local residents near Thiruporur—a Vanniyar belt with a strong PMK presence. Besides, the party is opposed to the acquisition of 1457.5 acres of land free of cost for expanding the Chennai airport. This proposal had been sanctioned by the AIADMK government.
Obviously, land acquisition and distribution are tricky areas. The DMK would like it to be seen as a people-friendly government that is focused on economic development. Which is why many in the party feel the 'land for the landless' scheme and other sops are essential to humour the DMK's core support base.
