Punjab: Warring vows pro-farmer land law if Congress voted to power in 2027

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday pledged that the party, if voted to power in 2027, will enact a state law to safeguard farmers' land rights, modelled on the 2013 Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act introduced by the UPA government under Dr Manmohan Singh. Farmers participating in a tractor rally, demanding official withdrawal of the land pooling policy, in Sangrur's Dhuri on Tuesday. (HT)
In a statement, Warring said the proposed legislation would mandate the consent of at least 80% of landowners/farmers for any acquisition, along with compensation at double the market rate in urban areas and four times in rural areas.
He also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government for attempting to acquire nearly 50,000 acres of farmland without proper consent or compensation.
Warring claimed that the recent withdrawal of the land pooling policy by the AAP was not voluntary, but a result of a stay order imposed by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
The Punjab government knew that it did not stand any chance to defend the land pooling policy, as it was violative of the Land Acquisition Act 2013, so it beat a retreat, he said, adding that AAP tried to coerce farmers by using police force.
Bajwa demands apology from Mann, Kejriwal for harassing farmers
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa has demanded a public apology from chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal for the mental and physical harassment caused to farmers by the now-scrapped Land Pooling Policy. 'They now boast about scrapping the policy for farmers' benefit, but can they justify why it was brought in the first place? This was a calculated attempt to weaken Punjab's farming backbone,' he said.
Farmers demand official withdrawal of policy in assembly
Hundreds of farmers participated in a massive tractor march in Sangrur's Dhuri, demanding a formal, official scrapping of the land pooling policy in the state assembly.
Protesters stated they will not stop their demonstrations until a written assurance was provided, as only a formal repeal will prevent the policy from being reintroduced at a later date.
The sentiment was same in Sohian village, located approximately 4 km from Sangrur city, where 568 acres of land were targeted for acquisition under the now-suspended scheme. Villagers had put up a poster at the entrance of the village warning government officials against entering. They have not removed it even now, which they say will remain until the policy is officially withdrawn.
Manjeet Singh Gharachon, a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, said the government's statement was just a move 'made out of fear of farmers'.
He stated the announcement held no weight without a formal cabinet meeting and suspension. 'The government can anytime acquire the land on its power. How can we believe this is actually in practice?' he said.
When contacted about the ongoing protests, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the state government had withdrawn the policy, honouring the farmers' demands. He urged the protesting parties to respect the withdrawal announcement, stating that the official procedure can take time.