Opposition Supports Farmers Against Land Pooling, AAP Misleads Public

Greater Mohali Area Development Authority’s (GMADA) plans to acquire 2,600 acres under the new land pooling policy in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar) for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional development is facing stiff opposition with only 15 out of over 8K landowners consenting to participate. Concurrently, the Punjab Directorate of Town and Country Planning has initiated the process for reclassifying several agricultural zones in SAS Nagar into residential zones, setting the stage for a surge in land prices. Villages located along the Landran-Banur Road, are expected to be reclassified from agricultural to residential zones. The Panjab government says the move comes in response to persistent demands from the panchayats (village council) and residents of these areas but the fact is this is being done to further the acquisition of land under the new Land Pooling Act. Meanwhile, in a major political challenge to Panjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), all opposition parties in the state have extended their support to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)-led protest against the land pooling policy. After a gap of five years the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the SKM have decided to bury their differences that had emerged after the three farm laws were introduced in 2020 which then led to a year-long farmers’ struggle. Now, the BJP will be part of this SKM-led protest that will begin with a tractor rally on 30 Jul in all villages across the state where collectively about 65.5K acres of land is to be acquired under 'voluntary' land pooling. Separately, a BJP delegation including state party president Sunil Jakhar and BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, seeking his intervention to ensure the rollback of the state govt’s land pooling policy. To counter opposition, AAP ministers used a common toolkit to tweet that Panjab farmers have accepted its policy and are willing to let their lands be acquired. AAP has even enrolled an unknown newspaper to publish the news. It is ironic that the propaganda over a tangible reality—land—is being fought over social media (earlier coverage).