Poll
Do you support the Punjab government’s increased incentive for the land pooling policy?
The minister said the state govt would continue holding meetings with farmers from villages covered under the scheme. He added farmers will receive residential and commercial plots under the scheme, alleging that previous govts encouraged illegal colonies to benefit select individuals, leading to unplanned urban development, while colony residents remained deprived of basic amenities. “The new scheme will ensure that commercial properties in planned colonies become a permanent source of income for farmers,” he said.Earlier in the day, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann defended the scheme, calling it a pro-farmer initiative aimed at boosting development and generating long-term income for rural landowners. Speaking at an event in Dhuri, where he distributed more than Rs 31 crore in grants to 70 villages for development projects, Mann said the scheme didn’t involve any forcible acquisition of land. “Farmers will now become long-term stakeholders in Punjab’s progress,” he added.(Inputs from Patiala) Farmers protest in AmritsarAmritsar: Hundreds of farmers gathered at the deputy commissioner’s office here on Monday to protest against the land pooling policy of the govt. Kashmir Singh, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta), claimed that the Punjab govt was using the policy to displace farmers and seize their land. Under the policy, a notification was issued to acquire land in 22 villages of Amritsar. A total of 4,464 acres of land will be acquired from these villages, which will be a grave injustice, Kashmir Singh added.
