Why Punjab's new Land Pooling Policy being opposed? - I

In a meeting chaired by the chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab cabinet on June 02 gave its nod to the new land pooling policy, which Initially being launched in 27 cities and towns of the state.

- BY JAG MOHAN THAKEN

After the meeting, in a press conference, renewable energy minister Aman Arora divulged that the new policy involves landowners, promoters, and companies as stakeholders in the development process and its aim is to curb illegal colonies by the land mafias in the state which are growing in an unplanned and haphazard way.

What the New Policy is?

If we see the claim under the new policy, the farmer, inter alia, will receive a 1,000-square-yard residential plot and a 200-square-yard commercial plot for every one acre of land contributed.

About other benefits, Money Control reports that if nine acres are pooled, the landowner will receive three acres (33 per cent) back. They can either develop group housing projects like high rise buildings or sell the land to builders. For those contributing 50 acres, they will get 30 acres (60 per cent) back, meant for plotted development.

In the case of land pooling for industrial and institutional sectors, 1,600 sq yards of industrial or institutional land will be given in lieu of one acre of land. The land pooling scheme for commercial sectors allows for a 800 sq yard of plot to be given for one acre of land, but in case of the land pooling policy for integrated industrial parks, a 1,000 sq yard industrial plot, 300 sq yard residential plot and 100 sq yard commercial plot will be given for one acre of land.

Government claims that one of the most emphasized features of the policy is its voluntary nature and no land will be taken without the farmer's written consent in the form of a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Policy states that until the farmers receive possession of the developed plots as per their eligibility, the government will pay them an interim compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre annually for up to three years.