Farmer unions express opposition to Punjab govt’s land pooling policy

The Jamhoori Kisan Sabha Punjab and Kirti Kisan Union Punjab have expressed their strong opposition to the land pooling policy of the Punjab government. Prominent farmer leaders, including Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala and Dhanwant Singh Khatra Kalan, stated that the policy is against the interests of farmers and would weaken Punjab’s agriculture and economy.

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Dr Ajnala criticised the state government for pushing projects like Bharat Mala and land pooling, which would take away 105 lakh acres of fertile land out of agriculture. He emphasised that Punjab’s significant contribution to the Central grain reserve should be recognised. Instead, the government’s policies seem to be detrimental to the state’s agriculture sector.

The farmer leaders expressed their outrage over the government’s claims that land pooling would benefit farmers through vegetable gardens and provision of commercial plots. They pointed out that no compensation has been given to farmers for land pooling, and the promise of 1,000 yards of houses and 200 yards of commercial plots for every acre of land given up is uncertain and lacks clarity.

Dhanwant Singh announced that a meeting of farmer organisations in Amritsar district would be called soon to decide on a course of action. In the first phase, resolutions would be passed against the land pooling policy in village panchayats, and strong opposition would be raised whenever officials attempt to acquire land for this scheme.

The farmer leaders demanded that the land pooling policy should be immediately withdrawn. They made it clear that they will not tolerate this anti-farmer policy and would fight against it. The unions are determined to protect the interests of farmers and ensure that their rights are not compromised.