Punjab Government withdraws the controversial Land Pooling Policy of May 14, 2025, and all amendments, following High Court stay and farmer protests. All LOIs, registrations, and policy actions issued under it are cancelled.
Punjab: The Punjab government has announced the withdrawal of the controversial Land Pooling Policy implemented on May 14, 2025, and all subsequent amendments. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, made this decision amidst an interim stay order on the policy by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and intensifying protests from farmers and opposition parties.
Formal Announcement by the Government
The Principal Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a press release on Monday stating that the Land Pooling Policy of May 14, 2025, and all its amendments are revoked with immediate effect. With this announcement, all Letters of Intent (LOI), registrations, and all other policy actions issued under this policy have been terminated.
What was the Land Pooling Policy?
The Land Pooling Policy aimed to accelerate urban development and involve landowners in the development process. Under this, land was acquired from farmers or landowners, and in return, they were given a portion of the developed land and cash compensation. The government stated that this policy would help in creating new colonies, infrastructure, and commercial centers in a planned manner.
Why did the controversy escalate?
However, as soon as this policy was implemented, farmer organizations and opposition parties began protesting. They alleged that this scheme was an attempt to seize fertile land from farmers and would benefit large builders.
Protestors argued that this would reduce agricultural production, affect the livelihoods of farmers, and weaken Punjab's agricultural structure. Several political parties termed it a "land grabbing scheme."
High Court Stay Changed the Political Situation
Advocate Gurdeep Singh Gill of Ludhiana filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging this policy. Hearing the petition, a division bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda imposed an interim stay on it on August 7.
The court stated that the land to be acquired is among the most fertile land in the state of Punjab. This could have social and environmental impacts, so it is necessary to put a stop to its implementation for the time being.
Sukhbir Badal claims — "Victory of the People"
Immediately after the policy was withdrawn, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal called it a victory for the people. He wrote on the social media platform 'X' that farmers, laborers, and shopkeepers united to force the government to back down. Badal alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party wanted to collect ₹30,000 crore from Delhi builders through this scheme to expand the party across the country. He described this policy as a "conspiracy to grab land."
Concerns of Farmers
Farmers stated that their land would be used through land pooling for projects that would not directly benefit them. The portion of developed land that would be returned to them would not be suitable for cultivation. In addition, farmers feared that both the compensation amount and the land share could get stuck in lengthy legal processes. Farmers in many districts of Punjab had been staging sit-in protests demanding the cancellation of this policy.
