Ravneet Bittu slams Punjab govt’s proposal to acquire 25,000 acres of land

Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for its decision to acquire 25,000 acres of agricultural land in villages surrounding Ludhiana. He warned that the move would have disastrous consequences for local farmers and accused the state leadership of functioning like “property dealers”.

In a strongly worded statement, Bittu demanded the immediate rollback of the land acquisition proposal, which was recently approved by the Punjab Cabinet. “The decision to acquire nearly all the agricultural land within a 10-km radius of Ludhiana, one of the most fertile and productive regions in Punjab, will devastate the farming community,” Bittu said.

The Union Minister alleged that the proposal was orchestrated by Punjab Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, whom he also blamed for the recent hooch tragedies in Sangrur, Amritsar and Ludhiana. Bittu further alleged that the plan was influenced by Delhi-based AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satinder Jain, both of whom he claimed are “camping in Punjab” and interfering in the state’s governance.

“Land in Ludhiana villages is valued between Rs 5 to 10 crore per acre. Once acquired, farmers will have no nearby alternative to relocate or continue earning their livelihood from agriculture,” he said, warning of a growing disconnect between the AAP leadership and Punjab’s rural heartland.

Bittu also pointed to the environmental cost of the move. “Punjab is already suffering from the effects of over-urbanisation. This massive land acquisition will only worsen the state’s ecological imbalance,” he cautioned.