Story · Land
Land reform’s ledger: 5.40 million of 7.34 million acres declared surplus distributed by 2004
How much land did the land ceiling laws free up, and how much of it reached the landless?
Key takeaways
- By 31 March 2004, 5.40 million acres of the 7.34 million declared surplus had been distributed; 839,466 acres had not been taken possession of. Exhibit 1
- Of the 5.51 million people given the land by 2001, 36% were Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 15% Scheduled Tribes (STs); no State or acreage figures by caste are given. Exhibit 2
- From 2008-09 to 2011-12, 267,218 acres were distributed in all. Exhibit 5
Land declared surplus under the States’ land ceiling laws, the land the States took possession of, and the land distributed to individual beneficiaries, by State and Union Territory (UT), as the Union government gave Parliament in 4 answers in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, its lower and upper houses, from 9 December 1998 to 19 August 2004; the share of beneficiaries who were Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), from the answer of 13 March 2001; and the land distributed from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
- of the land declared surplus had been distributed by 31 March 2004
- 73.6%
- of beneficiaries were Scheduled Castes, as of 13 March 2001
- 36%
- acres distributed in all from 2008-09 to 2011-12
- 267,218
Exhibit 1
By 31 March 2004, 5.40 million acres of the 7.34 million declared surplus under the land ceiling laws had been distributed, 73.6%
Land declared surplus, taken possession of and distributed to individual beneficiaries, acres, all States and UTs reporting, since the ceiling laws began, to 31 March 2004.
Waterfall: declared surplus 7,335,937 acres; not taken possession of 839,466; taken possession of 6,496,471; not distributed 1,094,369; distributed 5,402,102 acres.
- Declared surplus
- Not taken possession of
- Taken possession of
- Not distributed
- Distributed
Note: Figures run from when each State’s ceiling law took effect, as the Union government gathered them from the States. The 22 States and Union Territories in the statement are those that reported; the rest are not in it.
Source: Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3180, Statement showing the distribution of ceiling surplus land as on 31st March, 2004 (since inception), dated 19 August 2004. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 28 Oct 2026. Exhibit 2
Of the 5.51 million people given ceiling-surplus land by 13 March 2001, 36% were Scheduled Castes and 15% Scheduled Tribes
Beneficiaries of ceiling-surplus land since the ceiling laws began, by whether they were Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, %, India, as the Minister of State for Rural Development told the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) on 13 March 2001.
One bar to 100%: Scheduled Castes 36%; Scheduled Tribes 15%; everyone else 49%.
- Scheduled Castes3636.0%
- Scheduled Tribes1515.0%
- Everyone else4949.0%
Note: The answer gives the two shares in whole per cent and nothing more: no acreage, and no State figures, by caste or tribe. “Everyone else” is 100 less the two shares. No later answer found gives the shares again.
Source: Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2456, part (b), dated 13 March 2001. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 28 Oct 2026. Exhibit 3
Across 4 answers from 1998 to 2004, the land distributed stays between 5.28 million and 5.40 million acres
Land declared surplus, taken possession of and distributed since the ceiling laws began, acres, all States and UTs reporting, as each answer to Parliament gave it, in date order.
Table: Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1227 of 9 December 1998, 31 March 1998: declared 7,486,133, taken 6,614,133, distributed 5,277,233 acres; Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1987 of 9 August 2000, December 1999: declared 7,356,518, taken 6,496,192, distributed 5,287,007 acres; Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2456 of 13 March 2001, as reported on 13 March 2001: declared 7,348,667, taken 6,483,713, distributed 5,298,673 acres; Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3180 of 19 August 2004, 31 March 2004: declared 7,335,937, taken 6,496,471, distributed 5,402,102 acres.
Answer to Parliament Position States and UTs Declared surplusacres Taken possession ofacres Distributedacres Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1227 of 9 December 1998 31 March 1998 19 7,486,133 6,614,133 5,277,233 Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1987 of 9 August 2000 December 1999 22 7,356,518 6,496,192 5,287,007 Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2456 of 13 March 2001 as reported on 13 March 2001 22 7,348,667 6,483,713 5,298,673 Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3180 of 19 August 2004 31 March 2004 22 7,335,937 6,496,471 5,402,102 Note: Totals as each answer prints them. In Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1987 of 9 August 2000 the State rows add up to 6,460,192 acres taken against the 6,496,192 printed and 5,359,007 acres distributed against the 5,287,007 printed. In Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2456 of 13 March 2001 the State rows add up to 6,483,083 acres taken against the 6,483,713 printed and 3,509,958 beneficiaries against the 5,509,958 printed. The answers do not all cover the same States.
Source: Government of India: answer to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1227, Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No-1227 due for answer on 9-12.98 regarding identification of surplus land, dated 9 December 1998; answer to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 1987, Annexure-II referred to in reply to part (b) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1987 due for answer on 9.8.2000 (area in acres), dated 9 August 2000; answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2456, Annexure-I, dated 13 March 2001; answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3180, Statement showing the distribution of ceiling surplus land as on 31st March, 2004 (since inception), dated 19 August 2004. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 28 Oct 2026. Exhibit 4
By 31 March 2004, 6 of the 22 States and UTs reporting had distributed less than half the land they declared surplus
Land declared surplus, taken possession of and distributed, acres, and land distributed as a share of land declared surplus, %, each State and UT reporting, since the ceiling laws began, to 31 March 2004, alphabetically.
Table of 22 States and UTs. Andhra Pradesh: declared 789,910, taken 646,521, distributed 582,188 acres, 73.7%; Assam: declared 613,405, taken 575,337, distributed 545,875 acres, 89.0%; Bihar: declared 415,447, taken 390,752, distributed 306,964 acres, 73.9%; Dadra and Nagar Haveli: declared 9,406, taken 9,305, distributed 6,851 acres, 72.8%; Delhi: declared 1,132, taken 394, distributed 394 acres, 34.8%; Gujarat: declared 226,043, taken 161,716, distributed 146,578 acres, 64.8%; Haryana: declared 107,067, taken 103,171, distributed 102,388 acres, 95.6%; Himachal Pradesh: declared 316,556, taken 304,895, distributed 6,167 acres, 1.9%; Jammu and Kashmir: declared 455,575, taken 450,000, distributed 450,000 acres, 98.8%; Karnataka: declared 268,478, taken 164,675, distributed 123,412 acres, 46.0%; Kerala: declared 141,427, taken 96,851, distributed 68,745 acres, 48.6%; Madhya Pradesh: declared 298,763, taken 260,323, distributed 186,942 acres, 62.6%; Maharashtra: declared 708,098, taken 650,031, distributed 613,965 acres, 86.7%; Manipur: declared 1,830, taken 1,685, distributed 1,682 acres, 91.9%; Odisha: declared 180,301, taken 168,035, distributed 158,030 acres, 87.6%; Puducherry: declared 2,326, taken 1,286, distributed 1,070 acres, 46.0%; Punjab: declared 223,115, taken 105,858, distributed 104,257 acres, 46.7%; Rajasthan: declared 611,912, taken 570,290, distributed 463,547 acres, 75.8%; Tamil Nadu: declared 202,795, taken 194,118, distributed 183,670 acres, 90.6%; Tripura: declared 1,995, taken 1,944, distributed 1,598 acres, 80.1%; Uttar Pradesh: declared 366,176, taken 335,099, distributed 259,334 acres, 70.8%; West Bengal: declared 1,394,180, taken 1,304,185, distributed 1,088,445 acres, 78.1%.
State/UT Declared surplusacres Taken possession ofacres Distributedacres Distributed, of declared Andhra Pradesh 789,910 646,521 582,188 73.7% Assam 613,405 575,337 545,875 89.0% Bihar 415,447 390,752 306,964 73.9% Dadra and Nagar Haveli 9,406 9,305 6,851 72.8% Delhi 1,132 394 394 34.8% Gujarat 226,043 161,716 146,578 64.8% Haryana 107,067 103,171 102,388 95.6% Himachal Pradesh 316,556 304,895 6,167 1.9% Jammu and Kashmir 455,575 450,000 450,000 98.8% Karnataka 268,478 164,675 123,412 46.0% Kerala 141,427 96,851 68,745 48.6% Madhya Pradesh 298,763 260,323 186,942 62.6% Maharashtra 708,098 650,031 613,965 86.7% Manipur 1,830 1,685 1,682 91.9% Odisha 180,301 168,035 158,030 87.6% Puducherry 2,326 1,286 1,070 46.0% Punjab 223,115 105,858 104,257 46.7% Rajasthan 611,912 570,290 463,547 75.8% Tamil Nadu 202,795 194,118 183,670 90.6% Tripura 1,995 1,944 1,598 80.1% Uttar Pradesh 366,176 335,099 259,334 70.8% West Bengal 1,394,180 1,304,185 1,088,445 78.1% Note: Figures run from when each State’s ceiling law took effect, as the Union government gathered them from the States. States and UTs as they stood in 2004.
Source: Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3180, Statement showing the distribution of ceiling surplus land as on 31st March, 2004 (since inception), dated 19 August 2004. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 28 Oct 2026. Exhibit 5
From 2008-09 to 2011-12, 267,218 acres of ceiling-surplus land were distributed, in 12 of the 24 States and UTs listed
Ceiling-surplus land distributed, acres, in 2008-09 to 2010-11 together and in 2011-12, States and UTs that distributed any, alphabetically, as the Union government told the Lok Sabha on 30 August 2012.
Table, acres: Bihar: 47,846 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Chhattisgarh: 1 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Gujarat: 1,298 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Karnataka: 0 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 110,278 in 2011-12; Kerala: 0 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 901 in 2011-12; Maharashtra: 91,397 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Odisha: 1,024 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Rajasthan: 3,649 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Tamil Nadu: 343 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Tripura: 1 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 0 in 2011-12; Uttar Pradesh: 0 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 4,390 in 2011-12; West Bengal: 0 in 2008-09 to 2010-11, 6,090 in 2011-12.
State/UT 2008-09 to 2010-11acres 2011-12acres Bihar 47,846 0 Chhattisgarh 1 0 Gujarat 1,298 0 Karnataka 0 110,278 Kerala 0 901 Maharashtra 91,397 0 Odisha 1,024 0 Rajasthan 3,649 0 Tamil Nadu 343 0 Tripura 1 0 Uttar Pradesh 0 4,390 West Bengal 0 6,090 Note: The other 12 States and UTs listed distributed none in these years. The answer gives 2008-09 to 2010-11 as one figure. It gives no land declared or taken possession of, and no figures by caste or tribe.
Source: Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3151, Annexure, dated 30 August 2012. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 28 Oct 2026.
What’s next
The next update
We will update these figures when the Union government next gives Parliament the State-wise figures. This is version 1.0.0.
What the data can’t tell us yet
How much of the land went to Scheduled Caste households in each State: no answer gives it.
What you can do
- Cite this piece.
- Ask Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India for Ceiling-surplus land distributed to Scheduled Caste beneficiaries, in acres and by State, since the ceiling laws began, under the Right to Information Act: rtionline.gov.in.
- Found an error? Tell us how to correct it.
About this data
- What this shows
- How much land the ceiling laws declared surplus, how much the States took over and how much they handed out, by State, from 1998 to 2004, with what was distributed in 2008-09 to 2011-12.
- Source
- Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment, Government of India; Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, 5 documents, Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No-1227 due for answer on 9-12.98 regarding identification of surplus land, Annexure-II referred to in reply to part (b) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1987 due for answer on 9.8.2000 (area in acres): since inception till December 1999, Annexure-I: Statement showing statewise distribution of ceiling surplus land, Statement showing the distribution of ceiling surplus land as on 31st March, 2004 (since inception) and Annexure. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 28 Oct 2026. Every source
- What it does not show
- How much of the land went to Scheduled Caste households in each State: no answer gives it.
- Last updated
- 28 Oct 2026 · Next expected update: when the Union government next gives Parliament the State-wise figures
- Corrections
- Changelog (version 1.0.0) · Corrections policy