After junking pooling policy, govt keen to ‘reinterpret’ land Act

After junking the “Land Pooling Policy-2025”, Punjab Government is keen to allow registry of sale deeds of the land under acquisition till announcement of the compensation awards.

Under the existing provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act- 2013, change of ownership of land is not allowed after a notification is issued under Section 11 of the Act.

Aimed at “benefitting influential persons” who have bought parcels of land that are under acquisition for Eco City-3 and low-density housing in New Chandigarh, the government is “reinterpreting” a clause that bars change of ownership of land under the Act.

The Housing Department is acquiring over 70 acres of land for Eco City-3 and 300 acres for low-density housing in New Chandigarh.

Once the notification under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act is issued, the change of ownership of land was allowed only in special cases with specific permission of the competent authority. As the acquisition of land for Eco City-3 and low-density housing are in final stages, the department is working on a via-media to allow change of ownership.

It has been learnt that around 30 cases are pending in this regard with the Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), GMADA, for the past few weeks.

Sources in the government said a favourable opinion from the office of the Advocate General (AG), Punjab, had been received that could pave way for sale deeds to be registered till the announcement of land compensation awards.

The department has formed a committee to take a decision on the AGs advice. “The awards for Eco City -3 can be announced once the decision of allowing registry of sale deeds gets nod,” said a senior government functionary, who did not wish to be quoted.

Allowing registry till announcement of land compensation awards complicates the computation of the land records.

Officials said once decided, the same yardstick would apply to the land parcel of 240 acres in A, B, C and D blocks of Aerotropolis (Mohali), which are under litigation since 2021, pertaining to the Land Acquisition Act.