Punjab Cabinet gives nod to denotify land pooling policy

The formal notification reads, “The Governor of Punjab is pleased to withdraw mechanism for acquisition of land through direct purchase notified with letter bearing no.H-U-H1/38/2025-6H1/I/1099011/2025 and date 14.05.2025 and land pooling policy 2025 of the Department notified with letter bearing no. H-U-H1/45/ 2025-6H1/759 and date 04.06.2025 on following terms and conditions:- (A) All the proceedings done subsequent to the notification of the above policy including notifying khasra numbers, seeking objections/consent etc. are hereby quashed with immediate effect; (B) Letter of Intent (LOI) issued to the land owners/farmers in accordance with the land pooling policy 2025 and in lieu of the land purchased following the due procedure outlined in the mechanism for acquisition of land through direct purchase are hereby cancelled; (C) All the Khasra numbers purchased through mechanism for acquisition of land through direct purchase and registrations done there under in favour of the Department/Authority are to be transferred back on the name of the concerned land owners; (D) No Stamp Duty, Registration charges etc. shall be levied for the transfer of purchased land back to the Land owners/farmers under the above said Policies. This issues with the approval accorded by the Council of Ministers in the meeting held on 14.08.2025 as conveyed by the Department of General Administration (Cabinet Affairs branch) vide letter bearing number:1/126/2025-1Cab/5128 and date 14.08.2025.”

While the government did not hold any customary briefing after the Cabinet meeting, a source said, “There were several other ex-post facto approval to be given in the meeting. These agendas were read out one after the other and the nod was given. There was no discussion in the Cabinet.” He was referring to ex-post facto approval for the formation of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to ensure the smooth procurement on Kharif and Rabi crops. This GoM is chaired by the Agriculture Minister and includes the Ministers for Food & Civil Supplies, Transport, and Water Resources as members.

Another ex-post facto approval was granted to the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee. This committee will review and consider recommendations made by the Committee of Officers regarding Parts II and III of the 6th Punjab Pay Commission Report.

A source added, “Everything was already decided. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had already announced his decision to withdraw the policy through a conference call. It was acceptable to all as most of the party leaders were already in sync that the policy was threatening to dim the future prospects of AAP in the state,” said the source.

The government had announced its decision to withdraw the policy on Monday, after weeks long protest by farmer organisations and opposition parties against the policy.

It was stated that while the AAP was in no mood to withdraw the policy, the party leadership’s views changed after attendees in a state-level government function in Sunam, to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh, started walking out just when Kejriwal started speaking. “This was shocking for the party. The state that loved Kejriwal just a few years ago, didn’t want to listen showed him this side. This was a learning. This was stated that the land pooling policy was the reason behind this negativity.”

The Punjab Cabinet had approved the land pooling policy in June and had then asserted that not a single yard will be forcibly acquired from land owners. The state government had planned to acquire around 65,000 acres of land at many places including around 45,000 acres only in Ludhiana for developing residential and industrial zones. Under the policy, an owner will be given a 1,000 square yard of residential plot and a 200 square yard of commercial plot in fully developed land in lieu of one acre of land, the state government had said.