Latest news with #LandPoolingPolicy2025
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
High court stays Punjab land pooling policy till Sept 10
Chandigarh: In a setback to the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP govt in Punjab, Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday stayed the state's much-publicised Land Pooling Policy 2025 under which govt planned to collect thousands of acres of land for developing residential and industrial zones. "We are staying the policy till the next date of hearing," a division bench headed by Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal verbally observed in the courtroom after hearing the matter. The bench passed the order after the state refused to withdraw the policy. The copy of the order, however, was not available till the filing of this report. With this, the policy will be stayed till Sept 10, when the case has been fixed for further hearing. A division bench comprising Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Gurdeep Singh, 72, a resident of Ludhiana district. Punjab govt tried to defend the policy on the grounds that it is voluntary in nature and aimed at curbing illegal colonies. The bench, however, expressed concern over non-availability of provisions in the policy regarding the farmers, village artisans, and landowners who would potentially lose their land. On Wednesday, the bench had questioned the state for not conducting a compulsory Social Impact Assessment before notifying the policy. The petitioner seeks directions to quash the notification, dated June 4, 2025, along with the Land Pooling Policy 2025, arguing that it is ultra vires an act of "colourable legislation" and violates Fundamental Rights. According to the plea, the impugned policy includes the petitioner's land without following the mandatory procedure under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 (LARR Act) 2013. Further, there are no enabling provisions under LARR 2013 to frame or implement such a land pooling scheme. Instead, the competent statutory framework for such urban development and land pooling in Punjab is the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995, which has been arbitrarily bypassed, says the petition. MSID:: 123169462 413 | Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SAD to start protest against pooling policy from Sep 1
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday announced the launch of an indefinite 'morcha' from Sep 1 against Punjab govt's Land Pooling Policy 2025, calling it a "coercive land grab initiated by (AAP supremo) Arvind Kejriwal ". Making the announcement after presiding over a joint meeting of SAD core committee, working committee, constituency in-charges and district presidents, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the party will perform an ardas (prayer) at Akal Takht on Aug 31 before launching its protest. Badal said he would lead the first 'jatha' (batch) which will march Gurdwara from Amb Sahib on Sep 1 to "the new 'Sheesh Mahal' at the nearby Panchayat Bhawan which Arvind Kejriwal had made his residence in Punjab". "Party workers from each constituency in Punjab will subsequently participate in a continuous dharna and march from the same site in 'jathas' of 500 persons each indefinitely till the AAP govt revokes the land pooling scheme," he added. He said a three-member coordinating committee comprising Daljit Singh Cheema, N K Sharma, and Mohali district president Parminder Singh Sohana had also been formed for this purpose. "The morcha is dedicated to safeguarding Punjab's farmers, khet mazdoor, traders, and other sections of Punjabi society, all of whom will be badly hit by Arvind Kejriwal's Rs 30,000 crore deal with builders of Delhi to collect funds to expand his own political interests in other parts of the country," Badal said. He alleged that top civil and police officers in the districts were pressuring landowners to "give affidavits that they want to be included in the land pooling scheme". He warned the officers to desist from such practice, saying that "only a year and a half [of the present AAP led govt] was left." 'Forgive me, return to the mother party': Sukhbir to rebels SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also made an appeal on Thursday to rebels to return to the party fold. Invoking the resolution of Akal Takht yesterday, which noted that its unity call had not yielded any meaningful result so far, Badal said, "I bow my head to the takht. I feel it is the duty of every Sikh to obey the directives of the Singh Sahiban. I appeal with folded hands to all Akali leaders who have parted ways with the 105-year-old mother party to return to their roots to strengthen the panth and Punjab. I also appeal to them to forgive me if I have hurt them in any manner whatsoever." Alleges witch hunt to target Majithia Badal called the police action against SAD functionary and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia as a "witch hunt". He said Majithia was falsely implicated in a fabricated case after repeated investigations by various special investigation yeams (SITs) failed to indict him of any wrongdoing. Badal said SAD would approach the Punjab governor and apprise him of the entire matter soon. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
HC orders 4-week interim stay on Punjab land pooling policy; seeks clarity on rehab provisions
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put a four-week interim stay on the implementation of the controversial land pooling policy of the Punjab Government. The court made clear its intent to stay the policy after the government refused to withdraw it. The division bench of Justice Anupinder Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda also gave the state four weeks' time after hearing detailed arguments for about two hours. 'We will stay the policy and give you time to address the concerns,' the court said. The state has also been directed to inform the court whether a social impact assessment was carried out before notifying the policy. The court reiterated its concerns regarding the lack of provision for the rehabilitation of landless labourers and others dependent on land for their sustenance. It also questioned the government for not conducting the compulsory social impact assessment before identifying the land to be acquired. Earlier, the petitioner Gurdeep Singh Gill had contended that the policy was an act of colourable legislation, allegedly framed under a Central law that contained no enabling provision for such a scheme. His counsel Gurjeet Singh Gill, Manan Kheterpal, Manat Kaur, Rahul Jadge, and Rajat Verma also sought directions for quashing the notification and the policy as ultra vires, arbitrary, and violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(g), and 21 read with Article 300-A of the Constitution. After the hearing, Gurjeet Singh, lawyer of Gill, said that neither a social impact assessment nor any environment-related assessment was carried out under the land pooling policy. 'That no such social impact assessment report was either prepared or published, as per the provisions of law. Moreover, none of the gram panchayats or gram sabhas were approached or consulted by the respondents before bringing the Land Pooling Policy 2025, which is a clear disregard of the provisions mandated under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,' said the petition.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab Congress leaders welcome high court's stay on Punjab govt's Land Pooling Policy
Chandigarh: Punjab Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday hailed the Punjab and Haryana high court's stay on AAP govt's contentious Land Pooling Policy 2025. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Leader of opposition (LoP) Bajwa termed the stay a "victory for the people of Punjab", as he renewed his demand for chief minister 's resignation in the wake of the court's intervention. Punjab Congress president Warring hailed the court's orders staying the policy of the AAP govt, saying farmers' concerns stand vindicated and validated. "While we welcome the stay on the policy, at the same time we congratulate the strong resolve and determination of the people of Punjab in general and the farmers in particular to resist this anti-farmer loot by the Aam Aadmi Party govt," Warring said. He added better sense would prevail and AAP govt would now see reason in withdrawing the policy. "As we have already said, we are resolved to force the govt to withdraw this policy using all legal, legitimate, and democratic means," he added. Calling the policy a "blatant attempt at loot", Bajwa said it was designed to benefit a corporate land mafia at the cost of Punjab's farmers and landowners. "The fertile land of Punjab was being eyed by powerful interests with the govt's support," he said. The Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, Pargat Singh, also welcomed the court's decision, calling it a significant victory for the people of Punjab, especially farmers. "This is not just a legal order—it is a people's verdict against the arbitrary and exploitative policies of the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab govt and chief minister Bhagwant Mann," he said. He added the state govt must now realise that land grabbing under the guise of development would not be tolerated. "Congress stands shoulder to shoulder with our farmers. We will continue to oppose this autocratic and anti-farmer agenda of the AAP govt," he said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC grants interim stay on Punjab's land-pooling policy
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the operation of Punjab's land-pooling policy. The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on the operation of Punjab's land-pooling policy. The direction came on a petition filed by Gurdeep Singh Gill, challenging the Punjab government's land-pooling policy, 2025. After the hearing, the petitioner's counsel, Gurjeet Singh, said the court had granted an interim stay on the policy. 'A four-week time has been given for filing the reply,' he told reporters. The counsel said neither was any social impact assessment nor any environment-related assessment carried out under the land-pooling policy. The Ludhiana-based petitioner sought directions to quash the state government notification of June 24 along with the land pooling policy, 2025, being ultra vires and an act of 'colourable legislation', violating fundamental rights. On August 6, the court asked the Punjab government whether there was any provision in the policy for rehabilitation of the landless labourers for their sustenance. The state had also been directed to inform the court whether the social impact assessment was carried out before notifying the policy. The petitioner submitted that since the policy was purported to be under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 but there was no such provision empowering the state to frame such a policy as the provisions of Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, was the only Act under which this policy could be framed. 'That no such social impact assessment report was either prepared or published, as per the provisions of law, moreover, none of the gram panchayats or gram sabha were approached or consulted by the respondents before bringing the Land Pooling Policy 2025, which is clear disregard to the provisions mandated under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,' said the petition. Since there was no such provision of law under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement 2013 to frame the Land Pooling Policy 2025, there lies no mechanism or forum to challenge such policy and petitioner is left with no remedy to redress his grievance, the petition added. The AAP government has been facing flak from the opposition parties and various farmer bodies, which dubbed its land pooling policy a 'looting' scheme to 'rob' the farmers of their fertile land.
