NEW DELHI-Chief Ministers and Land Reforms

Chief Ministers and Land Reforms B M THE Chief Ministers' conference last week convened by the Prime Minister to review the implementation of the 20- point programme, concerned itself closely with the vital issue of land reforms. This was the most important item on the agenda of the conference. The record was, admittedly, far from satisfactory. At the end of the two- day deliberations the conference announced the determination of the Chief Ministers to carry out a time- bound programme of action on land reforms. It decided, in particular, to complete the implementation of land Ping laws by June 30, the deadline to which the Chief Ministers had earlier pledged themselves at the conference convened in August last year by the Congress president. This was a bold commitment on the part of the political leadership, especially because the progress in this direction has not been particularly impressive in the last eight months.