Kang becomes 1st in AAP to voice concern over Punjab's contentious land pooling policy
In a post on X on Sunday evening, Kang, who is the first AAP leader to publicly voice his concerns regarding the controversial policy, said, "Govt should move forward only after taking farmers and our farmer unions into confidence through dialogue."
He called on the state govt to listen to the farmers with empathy and address their issues through meaningful dialogue. "My suggestion to @ArvindKejriwal ji and @BhagwantMann ji is that our govt has done a lot for the betterment of farmers in the last three years, such as ensuring uninterrupted power supply for agriculture, aiming to deliver canal water to every field, expediting mandi reforms, and promoting crop diversification, among other efforts.
On this policy too, govt should move forward only after taking farmers and our farmer unions into confidence through dialogue," he said.
Kang, who put out the post in both Punjabi and English, said, "On this too, trust must be earned – not assumed – before any policy takes root."
The AAP govt in Punjab, led by Mann, has been facing criticism from opposition parties, farm unions, and farmers ever since it proposed the land pooling policy.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain
Knee pain | search ads
Find Now
Undo
Under the policy, state govt plans to acquire more than 40,000 acres of land across the state for housing and industrial projects, promising residential and commercial plots of varied dimensions, depending on the contribution of land parcels by them, for the contributing landowners in the developed projects.
All three main opposition parties in Punjab, the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the BJP, have been opposing the scheme, calling it a "land grabbing" scheme.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar even termed it a "Ponzi scheme," even as the ruling AAP claimed it to be aimed at planned urbanisation in the state.
Facing criticism over the policy, the AAP-led govt, after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, approved a number of amendments to the policy. These amendments included annual compensation to the landowners, extending residential and commercial plot allotments to farmers with smaller landholdings, and issuing letters offering residential and commercial plots in a time-bound manner. The amendments aimed to allay the concerns of the farmers.
However, criticism of the policy continued, with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announcing protests against the policy on Wednesday. Opposing the policy, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) also demanded its rollback.
|
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
11 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Babulal Marandi accuses Hemant Soren government of falsely implicating Hindu leaders
On the eve of Jharkhand assembly monsoon session starting from August 1, 2025, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi on Thursday targeted the Hemant Soren government accusing that Hindu community leaders are being sent to jail in false cases. Mr. Marandi alleged that the State Government has been trying to send its opponents, especially those associated with the Hindu community, to jail by implicating them in fake cases as part of a conspiracy. He alleged that in the last five and a half years, many such examples have come to the public domain where innocent people have been made victims of conspiracy motivated by political vengeance. 'The State Government is once again preparing to implicate Ranchi youth Bhairav Singh in a new fake case. The facts related to Bhairav Singh that are coming to light, seems suspicious,' Mr. Marandi told the press in Ranchi. Mr. Singh is local BJP leader of Ranchi and has been active in taking Hindutva agenda at large scale in the State capital. Mr. Singh had made the headlines after he had disturbed the CM's convoy following which FIR was lodged against him few years back. Mr. Marandi further alleged the police officers conspiring at the behest of the government to implicate the common people in false cases. He asserted that it was easy to implicate but hard to prove in the court. 'It would be better to refrain from implicating people before they have to face legal consequences. The Chief Minister is requested to leave aside the prejudice and ensure an impartial investigation of this entire matter and save the future of the youth of the state from being ruined,' Mr. Marandi said. Asked about issues which would be raised by the opposition in the assembly, Mr. Marandi said that it would be decided in the BJP legislature party meeting. Assembly speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato also convened the all-party meeting in which Mr. Soren and Mr. Marandi was present. The five-day monsoon session will end on August 7, 2025. During the meeting, it was decided that there will be a special debate on excess rainfall which has caused damage to the farmer's crops. While coming out from the Speaker's chamber, Mr. Soren said that amid heavy rains, the monsoon session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly has been convened and the session is going to be very important, because all the members have witnessed the heavy rainfall and damage done to crops. Asked about opposition to create ruckus during the Assembly session, Mr. Soren said that opposition leaders will not gain anything out of chaos and the government is very sensitive towards the people of Jharkhand eight of urban or rural areas. During the monsoon session, the government will present the first supplementary budget of the current financial year as well as several bills including the University Bill-2025 in the House.
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shukla, Tharoor contradict Rahul's stance on economy
Shashi Tharoor NEW DELHI: On a day when leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi endorsed US President Donald Trump's "dead economy" remark on India, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla refuted Trump's view, saying he was "wrong", even as party Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor held that US's imposition of 25% tariff and penalties may be just a "bargaining tactic" given that trade negotiations are on between the two countries. Another Congress MP, Karti Chidambaram, took a similar line and said, "Trump is not a conventional politician... We should not panic immediately. These are all opening positions in a negotiation." RS MP Rajeev Shukla told ANI in Parliament complex that "Trump saying that the economies of India and Russia are dead, is wrong. The Indian economy is not dead". He went on to add that "economic reforms were introduced when PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were there. Atal Bihari Vajpayee took those reforms forward. Manmohan Singh strengthened them in his 10 years. The current govt has also worked on it. Our economic condition is not at all weak". "If someone claims they can finish us economically, it's likely due to a misunderstanding. Trump is living in a delusion. Imposing tariffs is wrong," Shukla added. With his remarks seen to be contradictory to what Rahul said on the state of the economy, Congress shared a video clip of Shukla responding to a question in Parliament where he said that Rahul Gandhi knows a lot about the economy and went on to list the economic reforms steered by Congress and UPA govt and accused BJP of attacking the party and the Gandhi family without any reason all the time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If the Cat Bites You, Here's What It Really Means. Weird Cat Behavior Explained Undo Tharoor, commenting on the US's tariff decision, said, "We must give strong support to our negotiators to find the best deal possible. If a good deal is not possible, we may have to walk away". "Twenty-five per cent plus an unspecified penalty for buying oil and gas from Russia could take it up to 35% or 45%; we don't know how much. There is even talk of 100% penalty, which would destroy our trade with America," Tharoor told reporters. "Trade negotiations are still going on and there is a possibility, this may come down. If it doesn't, it will certainly damage our exports because America is a very big market for us," he added.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Empower farmers: Dy CM to agri scientists
1 2 Patna/Gaya: Deputy CM and agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Thursday called upon agricultural scientists to assist farmers in embracing modern techniques to increase agricultural output. He said the vision of a developed India by 2047 would only be realised if the Indian economy were reinforced through a well-integrated agricultural system. S peaking as chief guest at an orientation programme for newly admitted students of the faculty of agriculture at the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) in Gaya, Sinha highlighted the critical role of agriculture in the country's socio-economic fabric. "At least 76% of the population is linked to agriculture. It is, therefore, essential that farmers are informed about the latest advancements in agricultural science," he said. On the occasion, the minister also inaugurated the newly constructed building of the department of horticulture, as well as the 'Dhanvantari Arogya Vatika' on the university campus. Sinha expressed satisfaction with the structure of the university's BSc agriculture course, which includes practical training in agriculture and allied areas such as horticulture, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, cattle rearing, and paddy plantation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo CUSB vice-chancellor Kameshwar Nath Singh said the university, in line with its motto of 'Campus for Community', strives to improve the skills of both students and local farmers in modern agricultural practices. Local MLA Anil Kumar and Avnish Prakash Singh, dean of the school of agriculture and development, also addressed the students. The programme was conducted by faculty member Hemant Kumar Singh. Meanwhile, Sinha also said continuous efforts were being made to uphold the rule of law under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar. He added that only people with criminal tendencies were attempting to tarnish Bihar's image. "The values and responsibilities laid down by late Atal Bihari Vajpayee are being carried forward under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. Together, we will make Bihar a developed state, free from corruption and crime," he added.
