Facing backlash, Punjab government withdraws controversial land pooling policy
'Government hereby withdraws the Land Pooling Policy dated 14.05.2025 and its subsequent amendments. Consequently, all actions, like LOIs (Letter of Intent) issued, registrations done or any other action taken thereunder shall be reversed henceforth,' a statement by the Principal Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, on August 11, 2025, stated.
The AAP government notified the Land Pooling Policy on June 4 to 'promote planned and sustainable development'. The policy aimed for an 'urbanisation' push in the State that's dominated by a rural population with deep roots in farming.
It invited sharp flak from farmers and farm labourer outfits, landholders, and political parties, even as experts in agriculture and economics perceived the policy to be 'non-transparent' and 'faulty', raising questions over the government's intentions.
Numerous gram panchayats passed resolutions against the policy. Political parties, including the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposed the policy, accusing the AAP of attempting to grab land from farmers. The State government, however, dismissed the charges, describing the policy as 'farmer-friendly'.
Jagmohan Singh, a senior farmer leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, welcomed the government's move. 'It seems good sense has prevailed,' Mr. Singh said. The policy was unconstitutional as it violated the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, under which the consent of 70% of landowners surrounding the acquisition was required, he added.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on August 7 already stayed the policy, and given the government four weeks to file a reply addressing concerns over the policy. The High Court in its order had observed that the policy prima facie appeared to have been notified in 'haste', and all concerns, including social and environmental impact assessments, timelines, and redressal grievance mechanisms, should have been addressed prior to the notification of the policy.
Under the policy, the government was expected to acquire over 65,000 acres of land across the State, including in Ludhiana, Mohali, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Moga, and Tarn Taran. After opting for pooling, the owner of the land would have been given a 1,000 square yard residential plot, and a 200 square yard commercial plot of fully developed land in lieu of one acre of land, among other benefits.
Soon after the policy was withdrawn, Opposition parties termed it a victory. Congratulating all Punjabis for fighting unitedly, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said it had resulted in the withdrawal of the 'land grabbing scheme' of the AAP government.
Senior Congress leader and MLA Pargat Singh, said the withdrawal as a victory for Punjab's farmers, labourers, and every citizen who had taken part in the grassroots movement against the policy, which he said 'ultimately forced the AAP government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, to retreat'.
The AAP had been forced to withdraw their anti-farmer scheme after strong resistance, Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal said. 'BJP Punjab stands like a rock with farmers and farm labourers. We will not let the AAP grab even an inch of Punjab's land,' Mr. Baliawal said.
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Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Respecting voice of farmers': Punjab govt scraps land pooling policy; decision comes after HC interim stay on Aug 7
Chandigarh: The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt in Punjab has withdrawn its contentious Land Pooling Policy, 2025, in the face of significant criticism from farmer groups and opposition parties. The decision, which came on Monday evening, follows the Aug 7 interim stay issued by the Punjab and Haryana high court on the policy that aimed to acquire around 65,500 acres of land and was touted a "farmer-friendly" initiative vital for "planned urban development". The formal decision to scrap the policy, which was notified on May 14 and amended on July 25, was made following internal concerns within the AAP leadership, according to sources. The party was worried that the policy could be politically damaging and undermine the govt's other achievements. Till now, CM Mann and the entire AAP leadership had been vociferously defending the policy. In a statement, the principal secretary, housing and urban development, said, "The govt hereby withdraws the land pooling policy dated May 14, 2025, and its subsequent amendments. Consequently, all actions, like LOIs issued, registration done, or any other action taken thereunder shall be reversed henceforth." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Confirming the decision, AAP spokesperson Neel Garg posted on X, "The Land Pooling Policy was introduced in the interest of farmers. The Aam Aadmi Party always stands with farmers. If farmers do not like this policy, why should we impose it? Therefore, respecting the voice of the farmers—we are withdrawing this policy." The policy's objective was to acquire land in 164 villages for urban development near 27 cities and towns. The govt aimed to acquire around 45,000 acres in the Ludhiana district alone through a phased approach. Despite repeated assurances from CM Mann that no land would be "forcefully acquired," farmers remained sceptical. This opposition was rooted in a deep-seated fear that the policy would lead to the permanent loss of their lands and livelihoods. The protests also led to significant dissent, with farmers in districts like Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, and Jalandhar putting up "no entry" banners for AAP leaders. While MP Malvinder Kang publicly called for a "meaningful dialogue" with the farming community, the internal disagreement also saw some AAP functionaries resign in protest. Those who stepped down in protest included Harmanjit Singh Brar, chairman of the Moga District Planning Committee, and Gurjeet Singh Kanjhla, the block president of the AAP's unit in CM Mann's own constituency of Dhuri. Under the policy, owners who opted for pooling were to receive a 1,000 sq yd residential plot and a 200 sq yd commercial plot in fully developed land in lieu of one acre. To address farmer concerns, CM Mann announced several amendments to the policy on July 22. These changes included raising the annual livelihood allowance for landowners to Rs 1 lakh per acre until developed plots were handed over, a fivefold increase from the previous Rs 20,000. Farmers who owned as little as one kanal of land were also made eligible to receive a residential plot. Furthermore, landowners could opt for a larger residential plot in place of a commercial one, and a letter of intent (LOI) would be issued within 21 days, which could be used to secure bank loans. In its order staying the Land Pooling Policy, 2025, the high court highlighted several key flaws, stating that the policy appeared to have been notified "in haste". The court criticised the lack of mandatory social impact assessment (SIA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies for the large-scale acquisition of fertile agricultural land. It also noted the absence of a rehabilitation plan for landless labourers and artisans, who would be severely affected, and pointed out the lack of specified timelines for the project and a proper grievance redressal mechanism for those impacted. In its detailed order, released on Saturday, the court noted that the Land Acquisition Act 2013 bars the acquisition of multi-cropped land unless there are exceptional circumstances. "The land which is sought to be acquired is amongst the most fertile land in the state of Punjab, and it is possible that it may impact the social milieu," said the HC division bench. Earlier, the policy received formal cabinet approval on July 2. When announcing the policy, the Punjab govt highlighted its dual objectives: to curb illegal colonies and the land mafia while also ensuring direct profits for farmers. GONE IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS May 14 & June 6 |The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP govt officially notified the Land Pooling Policy, 2025. July 25 | The policy was subsequently amended. Early Aug | The policy began to face criticism from farmer groups, opposition parties, and even some members of the AAP. Protests, including tractor marches, were held across the state. Aug 7 | The Punjab and Haryana high court issued an interim stay on the policy. The court's decision was in response to a petition that challenged the legality and constitutionality of the policy, citing a lack of mandatory social and environmental impact assessments. Aug 11 | The Punjab govt decided to officially withdraw the contentious policy MSID:: 123239957 413 | Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). 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Time of India
an hour ago
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Crisis-hit SAD saw silver lining in land policy to turn its political fortunes
Chandigarh: The now-scrapped land pooling policy of the AAP-led govt came as a blessing in disguise for the crisis-hit SAD, providing an opportunity to re-emerge in the political landscape on an issue that resonated with the rural peasantry — one of the core constituencies of the party. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The SAD had heavily relied on this constituency when it formed two consecutive givts in 2007 and 2012, but it has been on a decline since then. The party's tally of seats slid to three in 2022 from 15 in 2017 in the 117-member Punjab vidhan sabha. Facing challenges from rival groups, SAD president went all out to mobilise the party cadre to launch an aggressive campaign against the controversial policy. He held protests at several places and announced last week the start of an indefinite morcha beginning Sept 1 from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali until the policy was rolled back. Badal was lying low initially after being declared tankhahiya (guilty of religious misconduct) by Akal Takht in Aug last year. This was followed by the Dec 2, 2024, Akal Takht 'hukamnama' (edict), which his rivals used to intensify their verbal attacks on him. Badal, who was re-elected as SAD president on April 12 amid rising criticism from the rival group, swiftly latched onto the controversy and spearheaded a series of protests, dubbing the policy as a "land grabbing scheme" of AAP. On Monday, when the AAP-led govt eventually decided to scrap the policy, Badal was leading a protest against it in Patiala. After the policy was rolled back, Badal stated, "We have forced the AAP govt of Punjab to withdraw the land pooling scheme by leading a grassroots agitation in which lakhs of people participated." During the protests, Badal sought to emphasise that SAD was dedicated to safeguarding Punjab's farmers, farm labourers, traders, and other sections of Punjabi society. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He accused AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of having done "an underhand deal with Delhi builders to hand over 65,000 acres of land to them at throwaway prices to fund AAP's election campaign across the country." On July 28, Badal led a dharna in Mohali against the policy amid rain, promising that not even an inch of farmers' land would be allowed to be "grabbed." Days after the schedule for the Ludhiana West elections was announced, he led a protest outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) in late May in Ludhiana, the epicentre of the protests against the controversial policy. On July 22, during a dharna outside the Ludhiana DC office, which was part of a series of protests announced by the SAD, he appealed to the affected village panchayats to pass resolutions against the "forceful acquisition. " On August 4, he led a party dharna against the policy in Bathinda. Vowing to "return the lands of farmers" and "stand with them till the end" in case of "forceful acquisition," Badal was eyeing a change of fortunes for the party ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections while banking on the controversial land pooling policy. However, with AAP rolling it back at a time when SAD was gathering steam on the issue, the party is back to square one. MSID:: 123239686 413 |
