It is important to study and examine the existing legal instruments to protect tenancy in the State," said experts attending a consultation on Tenancy in Odisha organised by landesa here on Tuesday. According to the experts, tenancy is highly restricted in the State. Such restrictive leasing or tenancy has led to informal or oral or hidden or clandestine tenancy that is tenancy without legal sanctions and permissions or without any written agreement. Such hidden tenancy which accounts for anything between 35-40 per cent of the total cultivated area, has grossly affected the sharecroppers who represent the more vulnerable section of peasantry, they added.
The consultation was organised to collate various perspectives around the issue of tenancy in Odisha which would help in designing an intensive study to examine and analyse the prevailing situation. Eminent economists, experts from Government and civil society organisations including Dr Padmaja Mishra, Centre for Development Studies Director Dr T Haque, Dr Aurobindo Behera, Dr B Bhuyan, Suneel Kumar and India Country Director, landesa, Sanjoy Patnaik participated in the consultation to build a common perspective around the issue of tenancy in the State and engage further in designing the plan ahead.
