Balbir Sidhu urges farmers not to fall for govt’s web of false promises
Says govt can’t afford to pay Rs 50,000 or Rs 1 lakh annual compensation due to poor fiscal health
3 min read
Congress leader and former health minister of Punjab, Balbir Singh SidhuThe senior Congress leader and former health minister of Punjab, Balbir Singh Sidhu, has appealed to the people not to fall for the web of deception being spun by the Punjab government regarding its so-called changes to the land pooling policy. He said that due to the government’s poor financial condition, it is simply not in a position to provide Rs 50,000 or Rs 1 lakh per year in compensation to landowners.
Sidhu said that this is the same government which failed to provide Rs 1,000 a month to women, couldn’t clear payments to private hospitals under the Ayushman scheme, hasn’t released pending dues to PRTC for women’s free travel, hasn’t paid dearness allowance to government employees on a par with the Centre and Haryana, and couldn’t ensure MSP to farmers like Haryana does. “How can such a government be expected to give Rs 50,000 or Rs 1 lakh annually to landowners?” he asked.
He added that for 65,000 acres of land, if the government pays Rs 50,000 per acre annually until possession, the yearly liability will amount to Rs 325 crore and post-possession, this figure would double to Rs 650 crore annually. “Even the common man can understand that under no circumstance can the Punjab government bear this kind of financial burden,” he said.
The former minister stressed that the issue is not merely about money or compensation, it is tied to the very existence of farmers, which would be threatened by the implementation of this land pooling policy. “A farmer’s existence is linked to his land. Once the land is taken away, that identity is lost,” he said.
He added that 90% of Punjab’s farmers are from generations of agricultural families and cannot shift to any other profession. Losing their land would render them unemployed.
Sidhu also highlighted that the policy makes no mention of the future of landless labourers and several other vulnerable sections of society who depend on agriculture. He warned that diverting such vast swathes of land from cultivation will not only reduce foodgrain production but will also severely harm Punjab’s natural environment impacting animals, biodiversity, flora and fauna.
He pointed out that the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, enacted by the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, clearly defined the responsibilities of governments in such matters, including fair compensation and rehabilitation. But instead of following that law, the Punjab government is trying to bypass its obligations through this misleading land pooling policy.
The Congress leader questioned the need for such massive housing and industrial projects when thousands of residential and industrial plots in Punjab already lie vacant. “That’s exactly why the Punjab government had to recently launch a scheme to convert unused industrial plots into commercial ones,” he said.
Sidhu demanded that the government immediately withdraw the land pooling policy and, if there is genuine need for land, acquire it under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act by offering one-time cash compensation so that farmers can buy land elsewhere and sustain their livelihoods.
He said, “Punjab’s farmers are wise and will not be misled by the web of false promises being spread by the government.”
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