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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Withdraw land pooling plan or face agitation Sukhbir warns AAP
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday launched an attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, warning it to immediately withdraw the controversial notification to acquire 24,000 acres of land around Ludhiana or face a state-wide agitation. Leading a protest outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) office under the banner of 'Jang Punjab Bachaun Di', Badal addressed a large gathering of SAD workers and farmers. He vowed that 'not even an inch' of fertile farmland would be allowed to be acquired. Accusing the AAP government of planning a land grab under the guise of development, Badal alleged that the scheme was designed to generate revenue by displacing small farmers. 'CLU (Change of Land Use) certificates are being sold at ₹1 crore per acre to exempt influential plots. This is nothing but a scam,' he said. Badal further promised that if SAD returns to power in 2027, it will enforce policies that protect Punjabi interests, including reserving all government jobs for local residents and banning land purchases by outsiders. 'Punjab is for Punjabis only,' he said. Farmer leader Sukhpal Singh, present at the protest, expressed gratitude to the SAD for backing farmers. He said the proposed land pooling scheme would trap landowners in long-term financial uncertainty, as the region lacks necessary infrastructure for development. SAD youth leader Jaskaran Singh Ayali Kalan also criticised the policy, calling it coercive. 'The notification clearly allows the government to acquire land from those unwilling to join the pooling scheme. AAP's claim that the scheme is voluntary is misleading,' he said. Veteran leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundar and Ranjit Singh Dhillon urged Punjabis to stand united against what they called a 'land grab.' Dhillon likened the current scenario to the 'Ludhiana City Scam' and vowed a prolonged agitation if the scheme isn't scrapped. Meanwhile, cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond dismissed Badal's allegations, accusing the SAD chief of spreading misinformation. Sond claimed the land pooling scheme is voluntary and accused Badal of having ties to illegal land deals during his tenure.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sukhbir leads SAD protest against Ludhiana land pooling scheme
Ludhiana: Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday led a protest against AAP govt in Punjab over a land pooling scheme recently notified by the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA). Under the scheme, govt plans to aquire around 24,000 acres of farmland in more than 40 villages around Ludhiana. Sukhbir vowed to prioritise Punjabi youth when giving govt jobs and ensure that only Punjabis bought farmland in Punjab. Addressing party leaders and workers who participated in the protest on Ferozepur Road outside the GLADA office, Sukhbir said, "Other states like Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan do not allow any outsider to get govt jobs and purchase land in their states, so why should Punjab not give priority to its own people?" He added even foreign countries were not allowing Punjabis entry into their states, so there was a need to create opportunities for Punjabi youngsters. Sukhbir said only a regional party could understand the pain of its people, while others like AAP, Congress and BJP only wanted to exploit its resources. He said it was only during the tenure of former CM Parkash Singh Badal that land acquired for SYL was de-notified and returned to farmers. "Every time Punjab has suffered the maximum loss, whether during the Independence war, or any other war with Pakistan or China. During this recent war with Pakistan, too, there were attacks in Punjab. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo When we sacrifice for this country, why should we not get returns too?" he said. Badal said pooling scheme had been brought in by AAP just to "mint money". "But it will impact farmers who will not be able to earn their livelihood. The SAD will not let even a single inch of land be acquired for this scheme," he added. Sukhbir urged people to identify those who were fighting for their interests and thsoe who were against them. He added if electors in Punjab could give 92 seats to AAP, they could also elect 100 Akali MLAs in the next assembly elections. In the end, Badal also advised the bureaucracy not to become a puppet in the hands of AAP govt. "When voters reject AAP in the 2027 assembly elections, action will be taken against officials who committed wrongs over these five years," he added.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Last major Akali leader with no 2nd generation in assembly
Bathinda: In Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Punjab has lost one of the last of its first-generation politicians of high degree, mainly aligned with the Akali polity. Only a handful of veteran politicians, including Capt Amarinder Singh and Balwant Singh Ramoowalia — both of whom have had affiliations with the Akali Dal as well as other parties—remain from the old guard to witness this evolving political scene. Punjab has already witnessed a number of towering political leaders, including Parkash Singh Badal, Surjit Singh Barnala, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Kuldeep Singh Wadala, Ranjit Singh Brahampura, and many others, passing away. Currently, the second generation — comprising heirs of the Badal, Barnala, Dhindsa, Brahampura, and Wadala families — holds key positions, though none has yet emerged as dominant power brokers. Among them, only the next generation of the Badal and Dhindsa families has attained significant political success. The sons of Surjit Singh Barnala, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and Ranjit Singh Brahampura have each won only a single electoral contest. Barnala's son Gaganjit Singh was elected in 2002 from Dhuri; Talwandi's son Ranjit Singh Talwandi from the Raikot assembly constituency in 2002; and Brahmpura's son Ravinder Singh Brahmpura won in a byelection in 2016. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here To Read More - micro segmentation software Expertinspector Click Here Tohra's adopted daughter, Kuldeep Kaur had lost, but her husband Harmail Singh won in 1997 and was elevated as minister, though he quit during the Badal-Tohra feud during that tenure. Gurpratap Singh Wadala, son of Kuldeep Singh Wadala, secured victory twice in the Punjab assembly elections of 2012 and 2017. In contrast, the Badal and Dhindsa families have maintained a firmer grip on power. Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parminder Singh Dhindsa have won multiple elections and held influential govt positions. Sukhbir and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal have also served as ministers in the Union govt. MSID:: 121469543 413 |
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab minister criticizes Sukhbir Badal over land pooling scheme and past governance.
Ludhiana: Punjab minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh launched a blistering attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday, accusing the former deputy chief minister of corruption, arrogance, and misleading the public over the Bhagwant Mann govt's land-pooling scheme. Speaking to reporters in the Ludhiana West constituency, Sondh dismissed Badal's recent remarks as "baseless" and claimed they revealed the Akali leader's "political and financial desperation." "Sukhbir Badal is not fighting for farmers," Sondh said. "He's defending his own interests and the land mafia nexus he built during his time in power. Every Punjabi knows that illegal construction in the state flourished under the Badal family's watch. " The minister said the Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt's land-pooling scheme posed no threat to farmers. Participation in the scheme, he said, is entirely voluntary and designed to increase land value by developing roads, lighting, sanitation, and other infrastructure. "Farmers who choose to participate will receive 1,000 square yards of residential and 200 square yards of commercial land per acre — a return that will multiply in value fivefold within a few years," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Zumbido e perda de audição? Médico revela técnica caseira de 1 real para aliviar! Zumbido no ouvido Undo Sondh accused Badal of fearmongering and double standards. "The man who now claims to support farmers had earlier backed the Centre's three black farm laws. He only reversed his stance under public pressure," he said, adding that Sukhbir's wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, failed to deliver any meaningful development during her tenure as Union food processing minister. The minister also targeted the SAD chief over the contentious Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, accusing him of compromising Punjab's interests for "personal economic gain." He criticised Badal for "disregarding" the authority of Akal Takht Sahib and treating Sikh institutions as "political tools." "Sukhbir Badal has no moral authority to speak on Punjab's issues," Sondh said. "His legacy is one of crime, corruption, and collusion with land mafias — not of service to the people. " The Mann govt, he added, was committed to cleaning up Punjab's politics and eliminating drugs, corruption, and land-related exploitation. MSID:: 121469159 413 |
The Print
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Punjab's most ambitious land acquisition exercise yet faces Oppn resistance, SAD promises agitation
The land slated for acquisition accounts for nearly 40 percent of the total area of Ludhiana district. The state's housing department intends to acquire a whopping 24,311 acres of land in southern Ludhiana for the development of urban estates. This is the highest-ever chunk of land planned to be acquired in a single region in Punjab. The acquisition will take place across multiple zones and the move was cleared during a meeting of various department heads chaired by the chief secretary last month. Chandigarh: The Punjab government's most ambitious land acquisition exercise ever seems to have hit a roadblock even before being officially announced. Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), the government body under the housing department was given the go ahead to start gathering land for the proposed urban estate projects. Addressing a press conference Tuesday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal declared that his party will not allow a single inch of this land to be acquired even if it means mounting an agitation. He said the move was planned in a manner to facilitate large scale corruption by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Delhi led by party chief Arvind Kejriwal. He added that he had visited Isapur, one of the villages in Ludhiana where land was to be taken by the government. 'The land owners told us that the cost of land there was almost Rs 5 crore an acre and there was no way the government could match this amount while acquiring the land,' he said. Badal added that the large difference in the market value of the land and the compensation that would likely be offered by the government created fertile ground for rampant corruption. 'Landowners not wanting to be a part of the acquisition process will pay huge bribes for their land to be taken out of it. It's already happening. Soon all registries of land would be halted in the area. Landowners are being forced to prepare backdated documents to prove to the government that they had buildings or sheds or residential houses on their lands to take them out of the scheme,' said Badal. He added that he was receiving similar complaints from other areas in Ludhiana and will be visiting these villages in the coming days. Badal said that even as the acquisition process had been set into motion, Kejriwal had appointed his former cabinet colleagues, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, to oversee various projects in Punjab. 'Apart from these two, persons loyal to AAP's Delhi leadership have been put in key positions in RERA (Real estate regulatory authority), the Punjab Large Industrial Board and the Punjab Pollution Control Board. Which means that anyone who objects to the acquisition process will find no relief from these bodies,' said Badal. Leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union Dakaunda have already announced that they would be protesting against the acquisition of land in Ludhiana. Few details about Punjab's largest land acquisition have been made public. When contacted, Punjab's Principal Secretary, Housing, Vikas Garg, was tight-lipped about the project. 'We're still working on the project. It is too early to say anything. Moreover, it would not be appropriate to share details of the exercise,' he said. Sources in the government, however, added that the land will be acquired not in the traditional method of acquisition, which included farmers parting with their land compulsorily, but through 'land pooling' which is a voluntary exercise. 'Acquisition of such a large amount of land is not practical as the process of acquisition is full of social, cultural and legal hurdles. However, land pooling is the way forward in this case,' said an officer involved in the process but who wished to not be named. The land pooling scheme notified by the government in 2013 offered to make land owners stakeholders in urban development. The scheme entailed the land owner being given cash compensation along with a part of the developed land in the form of plots. Landowners could also opt to go in for 'letters of intent' from the government which they could further sell. Former state government officer K.B.S. Sidhu, who served in the housing department for several years wrote about the project in his recent blog. He pointed out that direct acquisition could mean a staggering compensation bill for the government. 'The basic per-acre cost is unlikely to be less than ₹50 lakh, amounting to a total outlay of at least ₹12,000 crore—the Punjab Government appears to be banking on a land-pooling model as a strategic alternative to conventional acquisition,' he wrote. 'The land-pooling approach sidesteps this challenge by offering landowners Letters of Intent in lieu of immediate cash compensation, promising them developed residential plots or commercial sites within the reconstituted layout,' he wrote. Sidhu said the land pooling method achieved a dual objective of reducing the immediate funding pressure on GLADA, while giving landowners a lucrative and tradeable stake in the future urban form. He hailed the government's move, calling it the state's 'bold initiative'. 'The Punjab Government's decision to acquire 24,311 acres of land in and around Ludhiana in one consolidated exercise through the GLADA marks one of the most ambitious urban planning initiatives in recent memory,' he wrote, adding that few state governments had attempted such large scale land acquisition in a 'single stroke'. Sidhu however, cautioned that the 'sheer magnitude' of the Ludhiana proposal demanded 'cautious realism'. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: 'Hit list' lays bare infighting in radical MP Amritpal Singh-led outfit Waris Punjab De
