A total of 107 panchayats across the state have opposed the Punjab government’s land pooling policy and passed resolutions against it, saying they will not part with their land.
Harinder Singh Lakhowal of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said opposition to the policy is growing despite Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s repeated assurances that land acquisition will be purely voluntary.
Farmers of Balion village near Samrala, where the government has notified 250 acres for acquisition, are relieved that the panchayat has passed a resolution rejecting the government’s move. In Bhattian village near Phillaur, where 700 acres of land is to be acquired, the panchayat passed a resolution against the acquisition a few days ago. It has now filed its objections with the Sub-Divisional Officer and the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority.
The state government has notified 65,533 acres, including 21, 550 acres for industrial zones, for acquisition through the land pooling policy. SKM leader and BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said it is the government’s moral and constitutional responsibility to safeguard the interests of its people. “But this policy is doing exactly the opposite, and we will hold an agitation against it. The SKM is also guiding panchayats on filing resolutions against the policy,” he said.
It is after the sarpanch convenes a meeting of all voters in the village that the panchayat passes a resolution. A resolution is considered passed if 20 per cent voters are in favour of it. A secretary from the office of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer is present at the meeting. The resolution is then sent to the local body.
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