Farmer to hold tractor march from Mahlon village against land pooling policy on July 30

Even as the state government has attempted to make its land pooling policy more lucrative for the farmers and property owners, residents of Mahalon village in Nawanshahr district have completely rejected the new proposals.

Farmer organisations and leaders of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha held a meeting and unanimously decided to continue their protest against the policy. Leaders from various farmer unions, including Surinder Singh Bains, Bhupinder Singh Waraich, Ranjit Singh Ratenda and Avtar Singh, said that they would not offer their land as it would be disastrous for Punjab’s farmers and lead to the displacement of labourers, shopkeepers and other communities.

The farmers said that commercial chunks of land in Nawanshahr area would not be a lucrative option for them, either for personal use or re-sale. “The best use of the land is still agriculture and we want to continue with this vocation,” they said.

The SKM and residents of the village have given call for a tractor march on July 30, starting from Mahalon, from where on they shall move to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Nawanshahr, demanding the repeal of the land pooling policy. The farmer unions have appealed to all sections of society, including farmers, labourers and traders, to join the protest.