Join the Fight: Report Against Punjab’s Unjust Land Pooling Policy Now!

RMN News Report Highlights:

• Punjab Government’s ‘Land Pooling Policy-2025’ faces widespread opposition from landowners.
• Amended policy offers increased compensation but is slammed as a “real estate gamble.”
• Farmers and opposition parties allege the policy is a “scam” orchestrated by AAP leaders.
• Concerns rise over forced land acquisition, unfulfilled promises, and potential social unrest.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | July 26, 2025

Chandigarh, Punjab – The Punjab Government’s controversial ‘Land Pooling Policy-2025‘ is meeting fierce resistance across the state, with landowners, primarily farmers, and opposition parties uniting in protest against what they describe as a land grab scheme designed to benefit a “builders’ mafia” and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) nefarious political agenda. Despite recent amendments aimed at making the policy more appealing, critics maintain it’s a speculative investment that will dispossess farmers and plunge Punjab into deeper crisis.

‘Looting’ Farmers: A Policy Under Fire

The ‘Land Pooling Policy-2025’ enables the Punjab government to acquire agricultural land for urban development and industrialization. Initially met with few takers, the policy was amended to offer increased annual compensation to landowners, rising from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per acre upon the issuance of a letter of intent. This letter, promised within 21 days, outlines an offer of a 1,000 sq yard residential plot and a 200 sq yard commercial plot per acre of land – effectively returning only 25% of the acquired land while the government keeps 75% at a fraction of prevailing market rates.

[ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਲੈਂਡ ਪੂਲਿੰਗ ਨੀਤੀ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਸੰਘਰਸ਼: ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਮੀਨ ‘ਤੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਬਜ਼ੇ ਦਾ ਖਤਰਾ ]

The government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, claims the value of these residential and commercial properties in developed urban areas will increase manifold, thus enticing landowners into what critics call a “gambling” venture in the real estate sector. Once possession is taken, the compensation is touted to rise to Rs 1 lakh per acre annually, with a 10% yearly hike.

However, almost all Punjab landowners vehemently oppose this policy. While the government asserts land will not be taken without consent, those who refuse report coercive tactics, including the erection of walls and blocking of roads, suggesting a forceful acquisition of consecutive land chunks is underway for development projects.

The Alleged “Scam of the Millennium” and Political Undercurrents

The policy initially targets approximately 24,000 acres around Ludhiana, with an overall goal of 40,000 acres across 27 cities and towns. Local observers, however, fear the initial acquisition could exceed 100,000 acres.

Large-scale protests are escalating, with farmer unions planning a major conference in August to announce a widespread agitation aimed at forcing the government to withdraw the policy. Farmers and opposition parties are branding it the “biggest scam of the millennium,” alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is behind it. They point fingers at AAP’s top leader, Arvind Kejriwal, who was the CM of Delhi before AAP lost the Delhi Assembly election in February 2025, as the “real kingpin” of this planned scandal.

The term “kingpin” echoes its use by India’s financial crime investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which arrested Kejriwal in connection with a massive Delhi liquor scandal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), also probing the Delhi liquor scam, has reportedly expressed interest in similar investigations in Punjab, given the dubious Delhi liquor policy’s implementation in the state. This raises concerns that numerous Punjab politicians and bureaucrats could face similar fates to jailed AAP Delhi politicians like Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and others, who, despite alleged serious criminal records, have often secured bail.

A Puppet CM and A State in Crisis?

Critics assert that Bhagwant Mann is merely a “puppet” of Kejriwal, implementing decisions—including the Land Pooling Policy—dictated by Kejriwal and his associates. Mann, described as uneducated and lacking acumen to govern, is believed to have a “secret pact” with Kejriwal to retain his Chief Minister position by blindly obeying the supreme leader.

Allegations are rife that the entire AAP is now operating as a “criminal enterprise” or “mafia gang,” with Punjab becoming their new stronghold after their Delhi election loss. Residents complain of complicity from the Punjab Police and top bureaucrats in the government’s wrongdoings, turning Punjab into a “police state” under excessive police action. The fear is that the AAP is replicating its alleged “liquor mafia” model by creating a “builders’ mafia” in Punjab, where acquired land will be handed to large builders in exchange for kickbacks to expand AAP’s political footprint.

Unfulfilled Promises and Looming Displacement

The Punjab Government is accused of lacking data to justify the need for such large-scale urbanization or industrialization, and its claims of public support for the policy are dismissed as “blatant lies.”

There are strong apprehensions that the AAP Punjab will not deliver on promised compensation. Past failures, such as the unfulfilled promise of Rs. 1000 to women voters before the 2022 Punjab Assembly election and the non-provision of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops to farmers, fuel this distrust. The state’s debt, now reportedly nearing 4 lakh crore rupees, is also a growing concern.

If the AAP government forcibly acquires land, there is a significant risk of social unrest and large-scale Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within Punjab. IDPs are individuals forced to flee their homes but remaining within their country’s borders, distinct from refugees who cross international borders.

The government’s promise that urbanization will improve living standards is met with skepticism, given the existing underdeveloped urban colonies in Punjab with occupancy rates as low as 20%. People argue that the government should prioritize developing these existing “concrete jungles” and address pressing issues like lethal drug addiction, unemployment, religious fundamentalism, mass youth exodus, human rights violations, and deteriorating law and order in the state before embarking on new land acquisition schemes.

Call for Action

While opposition parties like Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticized the policy, they are accused of leveraging the plight of the people for political gains, merely promising to cancel the policy if elected in 2027.

RMN News urges all affected landowners and concerned citizens to register their complaints against the Land Pooling Policy. If sufficient data of opposition is gathered, RMN News intends to approach Indian and international authorities and judicial forums to seek the policy’s immediate scrapping.

This public service is part of RMN News’ ongoing efforts to support persecuted communities, similar to its Clean House service, Pressed Reporter service, and Copytrack Victim Support Group.

To register your complaint against the Land Pooling Policy, please fill out the form below.

ਲੈਂਡ ਪੂਲਿੰਗ ਨੀਤੀ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਆਪਣੀ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਇਤ ਦਰਜ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਲਈ, ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਹੇਠਾਂ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਫਾਰਮ ਭਰੋ।