PADDY PROCUREMENT 55 under paddy cultivation. However, the available details regarding the four persons who are subjected to the RPO are presented in table VII. The study of the published data as well as the detailed investigation of records in the village office conclusively show that the RPO has failed to achieve its objects; that it is full of loopholes and that evasion is rampant. It is doubiful if the RPO could be made more effective through more stringent legislation and enforcement.14> It is an illusion to hope for an equitable distribution of food, or of any other product of labour, merely through legislation in a society in which political and economic power is based on private property. [The author is grateful to N Krishna] if or his unstinted guidance, to K N Raj, T N Krishnan, and V B Athreyafor their valuable comments and to the staff of the Cheruvaikkal village office/or their friendly services.] 1 Local procurement of paddy under the Levy Scheme was first introduced in the state by the promulgation of the Rice and Paddy (Procurement by Levy) Order 1964, which was issued on 28 September 1964 when it was introduced in Palghat district alone. Subsequently the scheme was extended to the remaining districts with effect from 7 December 1964, and a revised order was issued on 1 July 1966 which remains in force today. 2 "Cultivator" means a person who actually cultivates any land with paddy. Order 2 (b) of the RPO. 8 Poverty, Unemployment and Development Policy, The Centre for Development Studies > March 1975 (unpublished) pV-12. 4 Data collected from sources listed under table I. 5 By the formation of the two new districts Malappuram and Idukki in 1970 and 1972 respectively. 6 Kerala Gazette Extraordinary No. 172, dated 4 September 1967. 7 Kerala Gazette Extraordinary No. 176, dated 7 August 1968. ® Report of the 1970-71 World Census of Agriculture, Kerala vol I. 0 Poverty, Unemployment anrf Development Policy, op. cit., pV-13. I ° Kerala Gazette Extraordinary No 173, dated 2 September 1967. II OP No 13^4/1967 I LR 1968 (I) Kerala 457. »2 Order 3D (3J of the RPO. 18 As an example, the village of Cheruvaikkal has as per records an area of 819.60 acres of land as governments land (barren land) while the total area of the village is 2461,42 acres. * 4 There is a suggestion that by making "household" as the unit (instead of "cultivator") evasion can be overcome. This would require a thorough amendment of the RPO. Complications would arise to define "household" and to determine who should be held liable in the event of violation of the law.