Dalit Agenda and Grazing Land to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

The Congress government under Digvijay Singh embarked upon a programme of land reform in the state beginning in 1998, consisting of distribution of a portion of the government-owned charnoi (common grazing) land to dalits and tribals, restoration of tribal lands, removal of encroachments and ensuring actual possession of land to owners and providing them assistance to improve their land. The Congress leadership attempted to employ the politics of development/welfare using state power rather than