Provision of voluntary contribution Punjab Govt’s bluff to loot farmers: Congress

Congress workers led by state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday staged a dharna against the land pooling policy here, with party leaders saying the provision of voluntary contribution was a “bluff” as the government was aiming to acquire farmers’ land “forcibly”.

The protest was held outside the office of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), the agency implementing the initiative in Mohali, where 6,000 acres is set to be acquired.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa former state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu led the Congress workers, along with Warring, in the protest. With the Mohali dharna, the party has launched a statewide agitation against the initiative.

The Congress leaders also submitted a memorandum to the GMADA administrator, demanding the immediate reversal of the policy.

The representation said the initiative, if implemented, would prove disastrous environmentally and economically for Punjab.

Warring termed the initiative a “ploy to rob farmers of their precious land”.

Bajwa said, “The government’s claim that the land pooling policy is voluntary is a bluff.” He claimed that the government had added a provision under the plan to facilitate “forcible acquisition of land”. <

“Till now, consent for only 35 acres has been received out of the total 6000 acres in Mohali. No farmer is interested but they are planning to acquire 65,000 acres across the state,” he said. Sidhu accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of playing into the hands of the party’s Delhi leaders”.

“He has surrendered all his powers to his Delhi bosses, which is shameful. He has betrayed our farmers just to save his chair. This government has beaten up jawan, kisan, naujawan, mulajim,” Sidhu said.

Congress leaders Ravinder Dalwi, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Sandeep Sandhu, Gurkirat Kotli, Kaka Randeep Nabha, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Jasbir Dimpa, Harminder Gill and Kuljeet Nagra also took part in the protest.