NORTH To Forestall Enactment THE Chief Ministers of both Punjab and Haryana, and the vast majority of landowners in the northern region, heaved a sigh of relief when the final ceilings pattern emerged after the Delhi conference four weeks ago. With collaboration from others, the two CMs softened the rigours of 'he earlier radical postures and provided convenient loopholes. The new ceilings are, therefore, unlikely to disrupt the present rural set-up. For one thing, most of the landlords have already made suitable 'adjustments', through deals and otherwise, to ensure that they would not be effectively deprived of any land. The connivance of the village patwaris and other functionaries was needed in this design. But even otherwise, the liberalised definition of 'family' and the discretion left with the Chief Minister in some cases (as in the case of trusts), allow for large- scale evasion of the law.