A BJP delegation led by state party president Sunil Jakhar and BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding the rollback of the state government’s newly launched land pooling policy.
The policy, introduced in May, aims to boost urban development by acquiring land from farmers and landowners in exchange for developed residential and commercial plots. It has been rolled out in 27 urban areas, with major projects planned around cities like Ludhiana, where over 24,000 acres of farmland may be acquired.
While the government claims the policy is voluntary and beneficial to landowners — offering one 1,000 sq yard residential plot and one 200 sq yard commercial plot for each acre contributed — BJP leaders have strongly opposed it. Jakhar earlier compared it to a “Ponzi scheme”, accusing the government of misleading farmers with false promises of high returns while allegedly helping private developers close to the ruling party.
Speaking to the media after submitting a memorandum to the Governor, Jakhar called the policy “daylight robbery”, alleging it was a scheme to “seize land from farmers and hand it over to political favourites.” He also criticized the government for moving ahead without finalizing proper rules and regulations, raising concerns about transparency and legality.
Jakhar cited the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, which requires the consent of 80% of landowners in any affected area for acquisition, and emphasized that land should only be taken for essential infrastructure like roads or national security. He said the BJP will stand with farmers and won’t allow any land to be taken without their approval.
The delegation urged the Governor to intervene and stop the implementation of the policy until clear guidelines are framed and proper consent is obtained from farmers.
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