Land pooling policy: Mann faces heat in own segment

The opposition to the land pooling policy of Punjab's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has now reached Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's own constituency Dhuri.

AAP block president from Dhuri, Gurjeet Singh Kanjhla, has resigned, saying he is opposed to the policy.

In Sangrur district (Dhuri falls in Sangrur), around 588 acres of land is earmarked for acquisition through voluntary land pooling by the land owners/farmers.

"This fight (against land pooling) is not just of the farmers, but also of the entire state of Punjab," Kanjhla said. Yesterday, the CM's former OSD, Onkar Singh Sidhu, who was unceremoniously removed from the post last year, also took to social media to criticise the policy.

Interestingly, none of these leaders has pointed fingers at the CM.

Senior functionaries in the AAP dismissed their outbursts, saying Sidhu was a disgruntled party and no longer close to the CM.

As the clamour against the acquisition of 65,533 acres of land in 116 villages grows across the state, ruling party leaders have been reiterating that no farmer will be forced or coerced to give up their lands, and that the scheme remains voluntary.

The government has also relented in deference to the strong sentiments and has decided to hold back land acquisition in smaller towns and implement it only in Ludhiana, Patiala and Mohali.

Last week, CM Mann had himself said that his government would continue to engage with farmers on the issue, and their consent would remain pivotal to the land pooling policy.

A senior functionary in AAP told The Tribune that the party was engaging farmers through talks in an effort to make them understand the benefits of the policy.

"We have already had farmers from 164 villages coming to get their concerns over the policy addressed, and similar meetings will continue. But we will not be talking to the farmer unions on this issue," the functionary said.