GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION NO 3002
ANSWERED ON 19.12.2014
Conversion of waste land into agricultural land
3002
SHRIMATI MOHSINA KIDWAI
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE be pleased to satate :(a) the details of the agricultural land in the country, State-wise;
(b) the details of the cultivable waste land in the country, State-wise;
(c) whether Government has taken any steps to convert cultivable waste land into agricultural land and
if so, the details thereof particularly in the States of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh; and
(d) the details of the cultivable waste land converted into agricultural land during each of the last three
years, State-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
(SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA)
(a) & (b): As per the latest available Land Use Statistics data, State-wise details of the agricultural land
and cultivable/culturable waste land in the country in 2011-12 are at Annexure I.
(c) & (d): As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, land and its management comes
under the purview of State Governments and therefore, it is for the State Governments to take suitable
steps to convert cultivable waste land into agricultural land.
However, Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development is implementing an
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) for development of rainfed/degraded areas
including cultivable wastelands. The details of State-wise land area and number of projects sanctioned
under IWMP during each of the last three years are given at Annexure II.
ANNEXURE