Comments: South Asia

1. Comments: South Asia Robert Mitchell Rural Development Institute

2. Ed’s presentation hits the main points. Some points of emphasis specific to India: • How the Bank is perceived • Land purchase • Women's land rights • Tenancy • Legal aid • Economic Sector Work • Computerization of records

3. Perception of World Bank in India • Largely negative, both within Government and even mainline NGOs – highly skeptical, looking for sinister agenda. • Although not a deserved reputation, the Bank should be aware of this. • Will limit what issues the Bank can work on effectively. • Two examples: • land acquisition and resettlement of those losing land • tribal land rights, which is related to the forest rights law

4. Land purchase programs (India) • Great potential for helping rural poor access land. • Particular application to micro-plots, both small field plots (e.g., 1 ha) and house-and-garden plots (e.g., 1/10 ha). • Potential links to large rural housing programs. • Potential links to DPIP rural poverty alleviation projects. • AP is most well known, and includes land purchase. • May be worth looking at other DPIPs to see whether land purchase might fit as well. • Not controversial. • Also, research and policy dialogues.

5. Women’s land rights (India) • A number of issues where the Bank could engage. • Not hot button issues. • Opportunities for engagement: • As part of land purchase programs. • As part of agricultural development projects or projects that add value to existing owned land, by requiring that woman’s name be added to title as precondition for participation in program • Also, research and policy dialogues would be helpful. • Large role for NGOs and CBOs

6. Tenancy (India) • Great potential for pro-equity and pro-growth movement on tenancy. • Bank has done great work on research, and room for even more. • Could also work on policy dialogue. • Should focus on removing legal constraints. • Tenancy access can also take on a gender focus, such that women's self help groups are enabled to lease land • Large role for NGOs and CBOs

7. Legal aid services (India) • Bank is involved in AP, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. • Legal aid could be part of: • land administration projects, • rural poverty alleviation projects, • perhaps other projects. • In addition to delivering services, legal aid provides valuable feedback to program implementers to understand what is working and not working. • Large role for NGOs and CBOs

8. Legal aid services (India) • Bank is involved in AP, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. • Legal aid could be part of: • land administration projects, • rural poverty alleviation projects, • perhaps other projects. • In addition to delivering services, legal aid provides valuable feedback to program implementers to understand what is working and not working.

9. Recent Economic Sector Work (India) • World Bank's recent ESW on land is a great contribution. • Deserves further dissemination.

10. Computerization of land records (India) • Current written records often do not reflect the ground reality. • Succession rights are not compulsorily registered. • High stamp duties and registration fees dissuade people from registering. • Families partition land without recording. • Computerizing bad data will not help. This is known, but bears repeating. • Some kind of survey and settlement process is probably needed.