DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH

Farmers' body Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Wednesday opposed the Punjab government's land-pooling policy, alleging that the Bhagwant Mann dispensation wanted to "plunder" farmers' fertile land at the behest of corporates under the garb of this scheme. Rejecting the policy in a meeting held here, KMM said farmers will hand over memorandums at district headquarters on July 28, seeking its withdrawal. KMM coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher said it will also hold a rally 'Zameen Bachao Pind Bachao Punjab Bachao' against the land-pooling policy on August 20 in Jalandhar. Speaking to reporters here, Pandher said that on August 11, a motorcycle march will be taken out to protest against the policy. Pandher said farmers do not want to part with their land and alleged that the state government wanted to "plunder" farmers' fertile land on the pretext of setting up urban development at the behest of real estate companies. He further said that many village panchayats in the state are passing resolutions against the policy.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, has already opposed the land-pooling policy and demanded its withdrawal. The AAP government has been facing flak from the opposition parties, which dubbed the policy a "looting" scheme to "rob" farmers of their land.

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. 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.

(editor@dailyworld.in)