The State Council, China's cabinet, said Wednesday the forced eviction of farmers from their homes must be stopped and avoided during rural land maintenance.

The rural land maintenance campaign should bring about higher incomes for farmers and more efficient agriculture and not go against farmers' will, the State Council, at a meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, said, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Emphasis must be placed on farmland maintenance that aims to improve the ratio of high output farmland in rural areas, the statement said.

Strict measures should be taken to protect farmland and boost its efficiency, the statement said, calling for integrated land maintenance that involves farmland, irrigation systems, roads, forests and villages.

Moreover, the statement said government officials and related staff will be held accountable for violations.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2010)