Land-saving alternative model of development for Punjab

The Punjab government has announced a new land pooling policy proposing to acquire over 40,000 acres for urbanization.

- BS Ghuman

Ludhiana district with 23,073 acres tops the list followed by Amritsar with 4,464 acres and Mohali with 3,535 acres.

While the government is defending the policy by stating it is purely voluntary and would make farmers stakeholders and beneficiaries of urbanization, opposition parties and farmers at few places claim it is working in collusion with corporates and big realtors.

Amid the discourses on the cost-benefit analysis of the land pooling policy, it is the right time to explore an alternative model of development in Punjab that conserves fertile land.

Land is limited and has alternative uses for agricultural and non-agricultural development. In the initial stages of development, conflict between both the uses is minimal as sufficient land is available. As development reaches the advanced stage, a conflict arises between land used for agriculture; and for industrialisation and urbanization. The conflict between development of agricultural sector and non-agricultural sectors becomes more pronounced when agriculture becomes commercialised like industry. This is exactly the position in Punjab.

The trade-off between agricultural and non-agricultural uses has arisen due to land being an emotive issue and an integral part of life and culture of Punjabi farmers. In this backdrop, acquisition of land for industrialisation, urbanization, roads and communication poses challenges which are likely to be different from many states of India.

The awareness of farmers and their organisational strength have added to the list of challenges. The implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Settlement Act, 2013, has been most difficult in Punjab. Many projects relating to industry and national highways have faced rough weather due to litigation.