MOHALI: The Punjab government has instructed the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) to move forward with land acquisition under the previous land pooling policy, following the retraction of the new policy due to farmer protests. GMADA is set to acquire land for significant projects, including Aerotropolis, Eco City-3, Aerocity, and other developments spanning approximately 2,600 acres for various uses such as commercial, institutional, industrial, and residential.
According to sources, the state government has recently issued new directives permitting GMADA to initiate the acquisition process until it is finalized by the cabinet. “We will be acquiring land under the previous policy in a manner that meets the needs of landowners. The process has already started, and new notices will be issued shortly,” remarked a senior GMADA official.
Previously, the Punjab government approved the acquisition of about 2,600 acres across various sectors in Mohali. However, the introduction of the new land pooling policy led to widespread protests from farmers, compelling the government to withdraw it. GMADA has now resumed the acquisition process under the earlier framework to address urgent development needs and curb the proliferation of unauthorized colonies.
As per the current plan, 236 acres in Sector 87 will be acquired for commercial use, 313 acres in Sector 84 for institutional projects, and 321 acres in Sectors 101 to 103 for industrial purposes. The most significant portion — about 1,800 acres — will be acquired in Sectors 120 to 124 along the PR-7 road for residential development.
Officials have noted that this move is essential, as several unauthorized colonies have emerged on nearly 50 acres in villages such as Daun, Raipur, Behlolpur, Barmajra, Tarauli, and Jhampur, encroaching on agricultural land without obtaining the necessary CLU approvals or other clearances.
In March of this year, the Punjab governor had already announced amendments to override previous terms related to e-auctions and rate fixation under PUDA and GMADA. The revised policy categorizes properties with bid prices of Rs 50 crore or more as “chunk sites,” while those under Rs 50 crore in GMADA (and below Rs 25 crore in other SUDAs) are classified as “other than chunk sites.”
Furthermore, all auctions, including those under the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Govt Lands (OUVGL) scheme, will now be conducted solely through e-auction.
