DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to its land pooling policy, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slamming the opposition parties for allegedly 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 of land and the land owners of 15 acres do not give their land for it. Then it 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 Rs 50,000 per acre as compensation, he further said.

After the government takes possession of the land, farmers will then get Rs one lakh per acre, he said.

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

Mann described the land pooling policy as a "historic" policy of the AAP government and said it is a policy in which there is 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 in 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.

According to an official statement issued later, the most significant highlight of these amendments is that farmers will now receive an annual livelihood allowance of Rs 1 lakh until their land is developed, a fivefold increase compared to the Rs 20,000 given by previous governments.

There will be no restrictions on the sale or purchase of land. Farmers will be free to buy, sell, or register their land at any time, said the statement.

These amendments aim to make the land collection process by the Department of Housing and Urban Development more efficient, inclusive, and attractive.

The Punjab government had earlier introduced the land pooling policy 2025 to involve landowners, promoters, and companies as stakeholders in urban development and to encourage participation in land pooling.

To gather feedback for the policy, the state government conducted several meetings with sarpanches of various villages, representatives of different unions, and farmers.

Based on the suggestions received, amendments have now been incorporated into the policy to make it more progressive, rational, and development-oriented.

As per the amended policy, landowners whose land is taken will be offered an alternative of 125 square yards of residential land and 25 square yards of commercial land per kanal of land. It was also decided that no charges other than external development charges (EDC) will be levied in the case of land pooling involving 50 acres or more.

Additionally, landowners surrendering commercial land will receive three times the residential area in return.

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 also 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.

(editor@dailyworld.in)