CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet approved the denotification of the land pooling policy that the AAP government had recently retracted.
This decision was made during a council of ministers meeting led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The Cabinet announced the retraction of the housing and urban development department’s notification regarding the Land Pooling Policy 2025, originally issued on June 4, along with its subsequent amendments, according to a spokesperson from the chief minister’s office.
In light of pressure from farmer organizations and opposition parties, the Punjab government officially withdrew the land pooling policy on August 11, despite initially branding it as “farmer-friendly.”
The retraction was celebrated by opposition parties and farmer organizations as a victory for the people of Punjab, claiming it was their efforts that compelled the Bhagwant Mann government to rescind the policy.
The withdrawal followed an interim stay ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the policy’s implementation for four weeks. On August 7, the court noted that the land pooling policy was implemented in haste and highlighted the necessity for social and environmental impact assessments prior to its notification.
The Punjab Cabinet had approved this land pooling policy in June, assuring landowners that not a single yard would be taken forcibly from them.
The state intended to acquire about 65,000 acres of land, with approximately 45,000 acres in Ludhiana alone, for residential and industrial developments.
Under this policy, landowners would receive a 1,000 square yard residential plot and a 200 square yard commercial plot in developed areas in exchange for one acre of land, as stated by the government.
In a separate decision, the Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, rescinding stamp duty and registration fee exemptions for specific classes of cooperative societies.
This amendment aims to address issues stemming from the Act, which allowed property transactions in urban housing societies without formal registration or payment of associated fees, leading to unregistered holdings and risky legal arrangements.
Therefore, changes were made to Section 37 of the Act by introducing Clauses 2 and 3, which enable the State Government to issue notifications excluding certain cooperative societies from the previously granted exemptions.
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a ‘Panchayat Development Secretary’ position by merging the roles of Panchayat Secretaries and Gram Sevaks (Village Development Officers) to streamline rural development efforts throughout Punjab.
Additionally, the Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval for the formation of a group of ministers (GoM) tasked with overseeing the smooth procurement of Kharif and Rabi crops during their respective seasons. This GoM will be chaired by the Agriculture Minister with members including ministers for food & civil supplies, transport, and water resources.
The Cabinet also approved the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee that will review recommendations related to Parts II and III of the 6th Punjab Pay Commission Report.
