Punjab cabinet approves amendments to land pooling policy

Punjab cabinet approves amendments to land pooling policy

The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to its land pooling policy, with chief minister Bhagwant Mann slamming the Opposition parties for “spreading propaganda against the scheme”.

Mann countered the Opposition’s charge that the scheme would “rob” farmers of their land and claimed that the farming community was “liking” the policy.

The Punjab cabinet last month gave its nod to the land pooling policy and had then asserted that not even a single yard will be forcibly acquired from land owners.

After chairing a cabinet meeting here, Mann said the Opposition parties’ claim that there will be no land registry once the notification of a piece of land is issued was baseless.

“For example, if an urban estate is to be developed over 140 acres and owners of 15 acres do not give their land for it, that does not mean that farmers (owning 15 acres) cannot take a loan, or mortgage their land,” he said while speaking to reporters here.

Mann said that until the urban development work starts over a piece of land, farmers who opt for the land pooling scheme can do farming activities.

They will get ₹50,000 per acre as compensation, he further said.

After the government takes possession of the land, farmers will get ₹1 lakh per acre, he said.

“If it takes more than a year for land development, then farmers will get a 10 per cent increase every year in the ( ₹1 lakh) amount,” said Mann, while referring to amendments made in the policy following suggestions of farmers.

Mann described the land pooling policy as “historic” and said there was no injustice to farmers.

“Rather, they (farmers) are becoming partners (of the scheme). They are liking the policy,” he said.

Under the land pooling policy, a land owner will be given a 1,000 square yards of residential plot and a 200 square yards of commercial plot on a fully developed land in lieu of one acre of land, the state government had said earlier.

Mann said if a farmer does not want 200 square yards of a commercial plot, then he will be given an additional 600 square yards in a residential plot, which will then become a total of 1,600 square yards.

Chief secretary K A P Sinha said farmers will be able to get a loan against the letter of intent.

“Farmers will not face any financial loss,” said the chief minister.

The AAP government has been facing flak from the opposition parties, which dubbed the land pooling policy a “looting” scheme to “rob” farmers of their land. Even farmer bodies, including the Samukta Kisan Morcha, have opposed the scheme.

After clearing the policy last month, Mann had said it was designed to foster transparent and planned urban development across the state.