India: Bill to bar paddy field reclamation

The Indian Government would soon introduce in the Assembly a Bill with strong provisions to stop paddy field reclamation in the State, Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran has said.

At a press conference here on Thursday, he said the draft of the Bill was ready and was being vetted by the Law Department. "I have sought the Chief Minister's permission to present the Bill in the next session of the Assembly," Mr. Ratnakaran said.

The area under paddy in the State had dwindled from 7,30,379 hectares in 1985 to just 2,76,742 hectares now. Paddy field reclamation could now be checked only as per the Kerala Land Utilisation Rules, which were not strong enough to deal with the harmful tendency.

A law with strong provisions was long overdue, the Minister said.