Privatization of Common Pool Resources of Land: A Case Study in West Bengal

Abstract

"Privatization is a quiet revolution that is sweeping the world. It now embraces governments of all ideologies and nations at all stages of development. This study presents an overview of privatization of common pool resources (CPRs) of land in West Bengal and an in-depth case study of the process and consequences of privatization in Nepura village of the Midnapur district in the State. It is shown in the paper that the State Government did a good job of initiating and facilitating the process of privatization by enacting a series of land reforms acts and by launching a number of programmes. Although, as compared to other States of the Indian Union, West Bengal did a reasonably good job of acquiring and leasing out the lands declared surplus under the land ceiling and the estate acquisition acts (vested lands), due to a variety of design and operational problems, the progress of privatization in the State was not upto the desirable extent. The paper highlights the need for expediting the process of privatization in the State.

"The privatization afforded the poor allottees of the CPRs of vested lands an opportunity to improve their level of living by making productive use of the wasted lands allotted to them and enjoying the resultant increased incomes. The allottees were, by and large, satisfied by the manner in which the vested lands were allotted. Most of the privatized lands were used for growing eucalyptus which was the most profitable use of those lands. The Forest Department helped the allottees with technical information, saplings, and other inputs. The allotment of land in contiguous blocks helped the allottees in raising trees as a group venture and to that extent inculcated among them a spirit of cooperation and collective action. Most of the cash income from sale of eucalyptus trees was used for acquiring additional land and farm implements.

"The study highlighted the need for government intervention in the local market for trees in the area to assure fair and remunerative price to the tree growers. The mode of intervention suggested in the paper is organisation of cooperatives of tree growers for marketing of trees and their products. Finally, it is concluded that privatization of CPRs of land backed up by necessary support to the land allottees could be an important instrument of achieving the goals of efficiency, equity, and sustainability in CPR management and averting the 'tragedy of the commons.'"