Punjab cabinet approves land polling policy amid tiff with farmers, criticism from opposition parties
CHANDIGARH: Amid criticism from opposition parties and ongoing tensions with farmer unions, the Punjab cabinet today approved the Land Pooling Policy, aimed at curbing illegal colonisation.
Under the policy, farmers can voluntarily offer their land for development and, in return, receive a residential plot and a commercial site in lieu of one acre of land.
The Punjab cabinet approved the introduction of a new land pooling policy in the state to promote planned and sustainable development. A spokesperson from the Chief Minister's Office said the policy aims to involve landowners, promoters, and companies as stakeholders in the development process and to increase interest in land pooling among landowners.
The revised scheme has been rationalised to benefit small and marginal farmers significantly, offering more options to landowners, which will boost group housing and planned development, ultimately benefiting the common man. The policy is designed to ensure holistic development by integrating every stakeholder into the process.
The new policy will be a game changer for the state as it will provide major benefits for farmers. There will be no more exploitation of farmers, and under this policy, farmers will directly benefit by crores of rupees. No private developers or land mafia can exploit farmers as the policy ensures protection from such exploitation, an official said.
The official added that complete authority lies with the farmer, and it will be 100 percent their decision whether to give land to the government or not. Farmers can either keep their land and continue farming or choose to sell it.
There will be no forced acquisition as used to happen earlier. Nothing will proceed without the farmer's written consent (NOC), and the land will be given directly to the government, not private developers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Assam's Kaziranga National Park to be expanded
GUWAHATI The Assam Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, approved the expansion of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Wednesday (June 4, 2025). Kaziranga, home to an estimated 2,613 one-horned rhinos and an estimated 32.64 tigers per 100 sq. km., currently has an area of 1,302 sq. km. A statement from the Chief Minister's Office said an area of 47,306.33 hectares will be added as the sixth addition of the national park. 'This move aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and promote sustainable tourism at the UNESCO World Heritage Site,' the statement said, adding that the Cabinet had decided on the expansion on May 21. The statement also said 10 villages will be excluded from the expansion plan. These villages are Baligaon, Biswanath Ghat, Gakhirkhaite, Gonaitapu, Gopal Jarani, Hatimura, Jobre, Silghat, Thute Chapori, and Umatamoni. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister held the first meeting of the Core Committee for the Centenary Celebrations of Bharat Ratna Sudhakantha Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. He said a biography of the music maestro, currently under review, will be translated into 23 Indian languages. The biography will be distributed to more than four lakh colleges, libraries, and offices across the country, and to 10 lakh people in Assam.
Mint
5 hours ago
- Mint
Punjab Cabinet approves amendment to Shops Act to reduce compliance burden on small businesses
Chandigarh, Jun 4 (PTI) The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, aimed at reducing compliance burdens on small businesses and enhancing the ease of doing business in the state. The decision was taken at a meeting of the council of ministers, chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. It was the third cabinet meeting held in a row. The council of ministers first held a meeting on Monday in which it approved the Land Pooling Policy and then on Tuesday it waived ₹ 68 crore debt of Scheduled Caste families. Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting, Mann said the cabinet approved an amendment in the Punjab Shop and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958 and it is aimed at completely freeing shopkeepers from the "Inspector Raj." Under this amendment, all establishments employing up to 20 workers will be exempted from all provisions of the Act, he said, adding that it will cover 95 per cent of shops and commercial establishments in the state. The registration work under the law will now be applicable for shops employing over 20 persons, he said. An official spokesperson of the chief minister's office said this move is expected to directly benefit lakhs of shopkeepers across Punjab. However, such establishments will still be required to submit relevant information to the labour department within six months of the Act coming into force or the commencement of their business, said the spokesperson. To enhance employee earnings, the permissible overtime in a quarter has been increased from 50 hours to 144 hours. Additionally, the daily spread-over period of work has been extended from 10 hours to 12 hours, inclusive of rest intervals, said the spokesperson. Nevertheless, employees must be paid overtime at double the regular rate for work exceeding 9 hours per day or 48 hours per week, he said. The registration process has also been streamlined and establishments with 20 or more employees will now receive deemed approval for registration within 24 hours of application submission. Under the amendment, establishments employing up to 20 workers are only required to provide basic information and are not obligated to register, said the spokesperson. Moreover, penalties under the law have been rationalized, raising the minimum fine from ₹ 25 to ₹ 1,000 and the maximum from ₹ 100 to ₹ 30,000 for any violation. To prevent harassment and allow businesses time to achieve compliance, a three-month grace period will be provided between the first and second offences, as well as subsequent ones, said the spokesperson. A new Section 26A has also been introduced to allow for the compounding of offences, thereby decriminalizing the Act and eliminating the need for shopkeepers to attend court. Meanwhile, all the securities and rights provided by various labour laws will be adhered to for safeguarding the interests of the labourers, said the spokesperson.
New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Punjab cabinet approves labour reforms; small businesses freed from compliance hassles
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet has approved a major amendment to the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, aimed at reducing compliance burdens on 95 per cent of small businesses and enhancing ease of doing business in the state. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers held today at the Chief Minister's official residence. A spokesperson from the Chief Minister's Office said that, under this progressive amendment, all establishments employing up to 20 workers will be exempted from all provisions of the Act. This move is expected to directly benefit lakhs of shopkeepers across Punjab. However, such establishments will still be required to submit relevant information to the Labour Department within six months of the Act coming into force or the commencement of their business. To enhance employee earnings, the permissible overtime in a quarter has been increased from 50 hours to 144 hours. Additionally, the daily spread-over period of work has been extended from 10 hours to 12 hours, inclusive of rest intervals. Nevertheless, employees must be paid overtime at double the regular rate for work exceeding 9 hours per day or 48 hours per week.
