Policy tailor-made for realtors, plan to tilt emography in long term: Cong
'This policy has been tailor made to favour a handful of real estate developers who have already bought land in Punjab. The idea behind this scheme is not only to ensure that uncontrolled urbanisation takes place but also that there is a huge influx of persons from other states which will tilt the demographics and make Punjabis a minority in their own state,' said Rana Gurjeet.
The Kapurthala MLA further alleged that there was an intention that the land acquisition under this scheme gets mired in litigation so that the real estate developers associated with AAP reap a windfall because their land parcels will be free from any legal encumbrance while a substantial portion of land along major cities will tied in litigation. 'It is a deep rooted conspiracy with ulterior motives and malafide intention,' he said.
He questioned the rationale behind such a massive land acquisition initiative. 'Where is the demand for 65,333 acres of land? Since the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966, only around 25,000 acres have been developed for urban estates and settlements. On coming to power in 2027 the Congress party will immediately scrap this ill-conceived and lopsided policy,' he said.
Meanwhile, accusing AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of being behind the scheme, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal told reporters on the sidelines of the protest in Mohali, 'It is not a land pooling scheme, but land grabbing scheme. People of Punjab, including the poor and farmers, will not allow them (the government) to implement this policy.
'Shiromani Akali Dal will not allow one inch of land to be acquired in the state. We will fight the farmers' battle. Punjab belongs to Punjabis, while Kejriwal represents the liquor mafia,' he said.
Addressing the gathering in Mohali, Badal said, 'The magnitude of land loot by the Delhi masters of the AAP government in Punjab has no precedent in history. And there is no development rationale behind it.' 'The 2,000 acres acquired for the Aerotropolis project in Mohali is still not utilised, while the government is going ahead with grabbing another 3,535 acres in its extension alone,' Badal alleged.
The Akali Dal chief reiterated that his party would not allow the government 'to grab even an inch of farmers' land'.
'I am ready to sacrifice anything but we will never allow any land to be taken by the government without the farmers' prior consent,' he said.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, meanwhile, accused the AAP government of trying 'to snatch away the land of farmers without paying them anything'.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is also the chairman of the All India Kisan Congress, said that even AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang had, in a post on X, flagged doubts about the 'dubious' land pooling policy being pursued vigorously by the state government, 'but it was shameful for Kang to delete the post under pressure from his Delhi bosses like Arvind Kejriwal'.
'The objections raised by farmer unions must, in my view, be heard with empathy and addressed through meaningful dialogue,' Kang had said in a post on X on Sunday. In a post on X on Monday, Khaira shared Kang's now deleted post.
Stating that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's 'double face' stands exposed, Khaira claimed that while in opposition, Mann batted for democratic ways to fight wrongful acquisition of land, 'but now in power he's doing the same forcible acquisitions'.
Rana Gurjeet said the policy was silent on the landless rural population who rely on agricultural employment for their survival. 'Who will take care of the landless population in villages who are dependent on landowners,' he asked. He further asked, 'What is the guarantee that landowners, who will be divested of their ancestral land, will receive the promised sustenance allowance? This would amount to Rs 653.33 crore, and the government, which is surviving on mounting debt, is in no position to deliver'.
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