punjab-cabinet-okays-land-pooling-policy

The Punjab Cabinet on Monday approved the much-debated Land Pooling Policy, with Renewable Energy Minister Aman Arora assuring that no land will be forcibly acquired from landowners under the new scheme. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

 

Addressing the media after the meeting, Arora strongly criticised opposition parties for what he called a deliberate campaign to mislead the public. “For the past several days, opposition leaders have been spreading misinformation that farmers' land would be forcibly taken. Let me clarify—this policy ensures not even a single yard will be acquired without consent,” he said.

 

Arora went on to claim that Punjab's Land Pooling Policy is not only the best in the state’s history but also among the most progressive in the country. He urged the public to not fall for “fear-mongering” and emphasized that the policy was designed with the welfare of landowners in mind.

 

 "I want to make it clear that not even a single yard will be acquired (by the state government)," he said, adding that the Cabinet approved the Land Pooling Policy.

 

Under this policy, land owners can give their land either to the state government or a builder or they can develop the land on their own, he said.

In the first phase, this Policy will be implemented in 27 big cities, the minister said while speaking to reporters here.

 

Attacking the previous governments, Arora alleged that they framed such policies which only benefited the land mafia and promoted vested interests.

Giving details, Arora said under this 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.

 

He further said if anybody contributes nine acres of land, he will be given three acres of land for developing a group housing. It meant that one-third of pooled land will be returned to the land owner, he said.

 

Opposition parties and some farmer groups have been targeting the AAP government, claiming that it has proposed to acquire 24,311 acres of land in Ludhiana to develop new urban estates.

 

The state government had earlier said the Land Pooling Policy was designed to foster transparent and planned urban development across the state.