Agricultural Land Distribution among Scheduled Castes in Maharashtra State

Maharashtra is considered as one of the most progressive and developed state in India. It is a leading State in agriculture. Agriculture is the largest provider of livelihood in rural India. Land is considered as an important resource as it provides habitation to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Land is not only prime source of income but also a symbol of social status in rural India. The Scheduled Castes (SCs) are poorest of the poor section not only in Maharashtra but also across India. The land distribution pattern for Scheduled castes in Maharashtra in agriculture continues to be skewed. As small number of Scheduled Castes own a large& medium extents of land while large number of Scheduled Castes own marginal and small extents of land. The government of Maharashtra has also implemented Karmveer Dadasaheb Gaikwad Empowerment and Self Respect Scheme for landless Scheduled castes. In this context an attempt has been made in this paper to examine Scheduled castes access to land in Maharashtra.