Liberalising land leasing necessary for growth, says Tajamul Haque

Uttarakhand with its new law allows the leases to last for a maximum of 30 years

The past 10 months have shown signs of a large agrarian crisis. Tajamul Haque, a former chairperson of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, tells Bhasker Tripathi that land leasing is the answer — if the model law is implemented by states across India it can benefit all stakeholders.

What does the Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act prescribe? How would it help tenants?

The Act is intended to liberalise and legalise the land leasing system in the country. Most of the states passed their tenancy laws in the 1960s and 70s, which were highly restrictive. Some of the states banned leasing