Author(s) :   Dr. Bipul Chakraborty

Abstract : Land reforms in West Bengal have played a critical role in promoting rural development, social equity, and livelihood security (Bandyopadhyay, 2003; Banerjee, Gertler, & Ghatak, 2002). This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, utilizing secondary quantitative data from government records, Census (2011), NSSO surveys, and district-level land redistribution statistics, combined with qualitative policy analysis (Bardhan, Luca, & Mookherjee, 2011; Biswas & Pal, 2021). Results show that ~2.7 million households benefited between 1950 and 2020, with SC/ST communities comprising 55% of beneficiaries. District-level variations reveal that Bardhaman had high cropping intensity (185%), while the Western Plateau faced high poverty (33%) and landlessness (38%) (Ghatak & Roy, 2007; Roy, 2016). Beneficiary households experienced an average income increase of ₹2,800, and 72% engaged in farm/self-employment, indicating improved livelihoods. Despite these gains, gender disparities (11% female landholders) and regional inequities persist (Sarkar, 2022; Sharda, 2024). The study concludes that land reforms significantly contributed to inclusive rural development, but targeted interventions are needed to address persistent social and regional inequalities.

Keywords: Land Reforms, Rural Development, West Bengal, Social Equity, Livelihood Security, Inclusive Development, Spatial Disparities.

DOI: 10.61161/ijarcsms.v13i9.1

Pages : 1-13

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