Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has strongly opposed the ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ’s plan to develop urban estates on over 24,000 acres of land across more than 30 villages near Ludhiana. He warned that if the ਸਰਕਾਰ doesn’t withdraw the project, his party will launch a state-wide protest.
Badal alleged that the land is being taken from farmers “forcibly” under the new land pooling policy, which was launched on May 22 by Finance ਮੰਤਰੀ Harpal Singh Cheema. He led a major protest outside the office of the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), demanding an immediate rollback of the plan.
In response, ਪੰਜਾਬ’s Rural Development ਮੰਤਰੀ Tarunpreet Singh Sond dismissed the allegations, saying Badal was “misleading the public” and that landowners would not be forced. “This policy will benefit farmers by giving them four times the value of their land,” he said, adding that land would only be taken with the owner’s consent and would be used to create modern infrastructure.
Badal, a former Deputy ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ, also demanded that land in ਪੰਜਾਬ should not be sold to ਲੋਕ from other states. He said that just like ਲੋਕ from ਪੰਜਾਬ can’t buy land in Himachal Pradesh, outsiders shouldn’t be allowed to buy land in ਪੰਜਾਬ. He promised to implement this rule if SAD comes to power in the 2027 Assembly elections.
He further claimed that most ਸਰਕਾਰ jobs under the AAP ਸਰਕਾਰ were being given to ਲੋਕ from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Badal said his party would reserve ਸਰਕਾਰ jobs for Punjabis only if elected.
He also criticised Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of “looting ਪੰਜਾਬ” and overshadowing ਪੰਜਾਬ CM Bhagwant Mann. “Kejriwal’s name is bigger on project plaques than the actual ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ’s,” he said.
The ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ insists that the land pooling policy is a step toward development and will financially benefit farmers, not harm them.
