Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing, Ravneet Singh Bittu, has strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for approving the acquisition of 25,000 acres of agricultural land around Ludhiana. He warned that the move would severely harm farmers and accused the state leadership of acting like “property dealers.”
Bittu demanded an immediate rollback of the proposal, which aims to acquire almost all farmland within a 10-km radius of Ludhiana—an area known for its fertile soil. “This decision will destroy the livelihoods of thousands of farmers,” he said.
He blamed Punjab Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema for pushing the plan and linked him to recent hooch tragedies in Sangrur, Amritsar, and Ludhiana. Bittu also accused Delhi-based AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satinder Jain of interfering in Punjab’s affairs.
“Farmland in these villages is worth Rs 5 to 10 crore per acre. Once taken, farmers will have no nearby land to move to or continue farming,” he warned, adding that this would deepen the gap between the government and Punjab’s rural communities.
Bittu also raised environmental concerns, saying the large-scale land acquisition would worsen Punjab’s ecological issues caused by over-urbanisation. “The state is already under stress. This move will only damage its fragile environmental balance further,” he said.
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