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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Residents question Punjab's ambitious land pooling policy: ‘Why expand when what's already been built remains empty?'
As the Punjab Government moves forward with its ambitious land pooling policy—aiming to acquire over 65,000 acres from 164 villages, with Ludhiana alone accounting for over 24,000 acres—a rising chorus of voices is questioning the rationale behind acquiring more farmland for urbanisation when many existing housing projects lie unfinished or completely abandoned. Residents, activists, and even political leaders are pointing to several Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA)-approved projects that have either failed to attract buyers or remain stalled for over two decades. Most of the abandoned projects were planned under the optimised utilisation of vacant government land rather than acquiring farm land. Projects on paper, but ghost towns on the ground Take the example of Lala Lajpat Rai Enclave in Jagraon—a PUDA-approved colony built in 2009 on 113 acres of land that previously housed the Jagraon Sugar Mill. 'The cooperative sugar mill was shut in the mid-1990s. In 2009, the then SAD-BJP Government launched this residential project. While many plots were auctioned, today the colony is deserted—just three or four houses exist. There's no resale market, and many plots remain unsold,' said Didar Singh Dhillon, a resident of Malak village in Ludhiana district. 'Close to this colony, the Punjab Government plans to acquire 530 acres of fertile land of the Malak, Aligarh and Pona villages for so-called urbanisation'. The colony has roads, electricity poles, and infrastructure, but no residents. 'When even an approved colony with amenities finds no takers, what's the point of creating more such colonies by making farmers landless?' Dhillon asked. Mansa: Gates locked, grass overgrown A similar fate awaits a 52-acre PUDA enclave in Mansa, located just 4 km from the main city on the Mansa–Barnala road. 'This is a gated colony where the gates are always locked. Wild grass grows over empty plots. Roads and electricity poles exist, but nobody lives there. Plots were sold, but now no one wants to buy,' said Gurlabh Singh Mahal, an advocate and local resident. Ironically, while this colony decays, the Government plans to acquire 125 more acres in Mansa under the land pooling policy. Mahal points to another project: 'Over 100 acres were acquired for a Punjab Technical University campus on the Mansa–Sardulgarh road during SAD-BJP's second term (2007–2012). That land too lies unused. Why not urbanise that first?' Bathinda: Phases started in 2011, still incomplete In Bathinda, phases 4 and 5 of the Urban Estate launched in 2011 are still incomplete. 'Even today, some parks are not developed. The basic civic infrastructure is unfinished,' said Sarup Singla, Bathinda district BJP president. Despite this, the Government has now notified 894 acres in Bathinda under the land pooling policy—raising concerns about priorities and planning. Muktsar: only walls, no allottees In Muktsar, another PUDA colony—announced during SAD-BJP's second term—exists only as a boundary wall and a gate. Plot demarcation is complete, but not a single plot has been allotted. These projects fall under the jurisdiction of the Bathinda Development Authority, which also oversees urbanisation plans in Mansa, Faridkot, Fazilka, and Muktsar. Ludhiana's PUDA-approved private colonies also struggling Even private colonies approved in the Dakha, Jagraon Assembly constituencies of Ludhiana under previous development drives are in limbo. In Bhanohar village, one such colony spread over 100 acres has barely three-four families residing and Bhanohar comes under the current land pooling policy. 'This colony has existed for over 15 years. It's nothing but demarcated and sold plots. If the Government really wants to urbanise, they should revive such projects where investors' hard-earned money is stuck,' said Gurlabh Singh Mahal, adding that ignoring dead projects while acquiring fertile land would send the wrong signal to farmers. Punjab's land pooling push The Punjab Government recently introduced the land pooling policy to build townships by acquiring land from farmers through pooling, rather than outright purchase. Farmers contributing land will receive a portion back as developed plots, with the rest sold to finance civic infrastructure. While as per the Government, the policy is a 'win-win' initiative for landowners and the state, it has sparked intense opposition in villages across Punjab. Farmer unions and resident groups say the policy is an attempt to forcibly urbanise fertile land, while older urbanisation efforts have failed to deliver on their promises. 'CM Bhagwant Mann on Sunday visited village Libra of Samrala constituency just to project that he is meeting villages amid protests against land pooling policy. But Libra village doesn't come under the land pooling policy… The CM must visit the villages where over 50 per cent land is under the land pooling policy and that too after announcing his visit, rather than making hurried visits for social media presence,' said Pritpal Singh Baliawal, a BJP spokesperson. With mass protests, resolutions passed by gram sabhas, and even posters banning leaders of the ruling AAP in villages, the Government faces increasing pressure to complete or revive its existing projects before seeking more land under its urbanisation agenda.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Grant-in-aid provided by Centre to Punjab government declines by half this year
CHANDIGARH: The grants-in-aid to the Punjab Government from the Union Government has declined by half between the first quarter of the current financial year compared to the corresponding period last year. The revenue deficit grant which the 15th Finance Commission supposed to provide, was not received by the State, resulting a gap in revenue receipts. Sources said that as per the fiscal indicators of the first quarter of this fiscal, the State government received Rs 793.74 crore as grants-in-aid. Last year, in the same period, it got Rs 1,471.99 crore marking a decline of Rs 678.25 crore. A total of Rs 25,968 crore grant from 2021 to 2026 was given by the Commission. In the first two years, the State got maximum grants in 2021-22 of Rs 10,081 crore, Rs 8,274 crore in 2022-23. In 2023-24, it got Rs 5,618 crore, and in 2024-25, the State received Rs 1,995 crore and this year, nothing. It has impacted the total revenue receipts of the state government, which, though higher than the first quarter of 2024-25, is lower than the targeted receipts. Between April to June this year, the revenue receipts were Rs 22,938.23 crore, which is just 20.04 per cent of the total targeted revenue of Rs 1,11,740.32 crore for the entire financial year. Always, the revenue collection is higher in the first quarter of the year, said sources.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Environmentalists demand wider consultation on Punjab tree protection act
CHANDIGARH: Following the introduction of Punjab Protection of Trees Act, 2025, environmentalists have urged the government to consider the views of all stakeholders before the Act is implemented. They are demanding provisions for granting carbon credits to tree growers, strict penalties including imprisonment for illegal tree felling, protection for heritage trees through a special law, and a rule mandating the planting of 15 trees for every tree cut. The Punjab Government had introduced the Act to preserve green cover, ensure ecological balance, and regulate the felling and replanting of trees. A group of environmentalists said they have already submitted a detailed document to the state government outlining how the Act should be implemented and what key provisions should be included. In a conversation with The New Indian Express, leading environmentalist Samita Kaur said the proposed Act currently covers only urban areas. She stressed that it should be implemented across the state, including rural regions, with a focus on agroforestry in villages, which is missing from the current draft. She also said that farmers and others who grow trees should be given carbon credits in both urban and rural areas to encourage tree planting. Giving the example of Uttar Pradesh, she said that the state government there not only grants carbon credits but also pays them in advance to motivate farmers.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister
Chandigarh, Punjab Minister Baljit Kaur on Friday said that the ongoing drive to rescue child beggars in the state also focuses on their scientific identification, rehabilitation, and long-term integration into society. Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister The Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister informed that the project, launched nine months ago, has now been relaunched in an upgraded and intensified format as Jiwanjyot 2.0. "The revamped project includes social investigation reports, DNA testing, psychological counselling, and strict legal follow-up," she said here. In the last week alone, around 170 child beggars were rescued from various locations across the state. Kaur highlighted that 125 coordinated rescue raids were conducted in major cities, resulting in the rescue of these children. Among them, 80 children were identified and reunited with their parents after thorough verification and counselling to ensure they are not coerced back into begging. However, 88 children whose parents or guardians could not be traced were placed in secure, government-run childcare institutions where they would receive nutrition, education, emotional support, and medical assistance in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act. Kaur also mentioned that 25 social investigation reports have been prepared to better understand the backgrounds, vulnerabilities, and needs of the rescued children. In the case of 16 children, their DNA identification is being undertaken. 13 samples have been collected and sent to authorised labs for parentage confirmation. Among the rescued children, 10 are from other states, and the minister assured that necessary coordination is underway to facilitate their safe repatriation in consultation with the relevant state governments. "Project Jiwanjot is not just about pulling children off the streets; it's about rebuilding their futures," Kaur stated, adding that many of these children have now been admitted to schools and linked with welfare schemes, and follow-up monitoring is underway. Issuing a stern warning to parents or guardians found forcing children into begging, Kaur asserted that such individuals will be declared "unfit guardians" under the law, and legal action will be initiated. She also reiterated the government's firm stance against organised gangs or traffickers exploiting minors, promising strict police action under relevant IPC provisions. To address the issue holistically, Kaur announced that the Punjab Government will soon establish Aasra Centres for adult beggars in major cities, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Bathinda. These centres will provide shelter, counselling and skill training to ensure adult beggars are not forced to push children into street begging. Kaur appealed to the public to call the Child Helpline if they see a child begging anywhere in Punjab, noting that timely reporting can change a child's life. Recently, the state government directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests for children found begging alongside adults on the streets to verify their relationships and address the issue of child begging. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Dance, music at Punjab government's Guru Tegh Bahadur event, top Sikh body fumes
An event organised by the Punjab government to commemorate Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, in Srinagar has ran into a controversy as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) raised serious objections, alleging it violated Sikh religious event, held on July 24 at Tagore Hall and organised by the Punjab Government's Language Department in collaboration with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, featured Gurbani and Sufi music. However, controversy erupted when attendees were seen dancing to a Punjabi song performed by singer Bir the act a "grave violation of Sikh religious conduct (Gurmat Maryada)," SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said the event disrespected the sanctity of Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom. "Sikh martyrdom anniversaries are solemn, spiritual occasions that must align strictly with Sikh traditions—marked by Shabad Kirtan, Gurbani recitation, Gurmat Vichar, and sewa—not entertainment," Dhami further slammed the Bhagwant Mann government for organising religious commemorations without consulting Sikh institutions, stressing that such events should be led by bodies like the SGPC (the highest authority for Sikh religious affairs), which understand the religious and cultural sensitivities involved."The incident reinforces why the SGPC opposes government-led religious events," he said, demanding a public apology from the state government and urging that future events strictly follow Sikh emphasised that Sikh Gurpurbs and commemorative occasions are spiritual in nature and not meant for casual celebration."They include holy activities such as Shabad Kirtan, Gurmat Vichar, Gurbani recitation, community service and sewa. Activities such as dancing and singing performances are not only violations of Sikh principles but also disrespectful to the martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur," he marks the second time in a week that the SGPC has objected to a Punjab Government initiative. Earlier, it raised concerns over the upcoming November celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's martyrdom, which include a government-organised yatra from Monday, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced the event would be held from November 19 to 25, with a yatra to be flagged off by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The SGPC has opposed the plan, citing lack of coordination and government interference in Sikh religious affairs.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Punjab
