Punjab clears farmhouse policy for eco-sensitive Kandi region

“The core principle of the policy is a complete prohibition on any commercial activity, and to ensure environmental protection. It incorporates robust safeguards such as mandatory plantation of indigenous species, use of sustainable building materials, and provisions for rainwater harvesting and solar energy,” an official statement said.

Cheema said the government would allow farmhouses the land, which does not fall under eco sensitive zone. He said that this land was delisted by the Centre in 2011 and the government formulated a policy, strictly adhering to the norms and directions of the Supreme Court. “We will follow the norms strictly. This land was delisted over a decade ago and we are now allowing farm houses on it,” he said, adding on every acre (which is 4,000 square yards in kandi area), two-storeyed houses of 400 square yard would be allowed.

Cheema said no commercial activity would be allowed at these farm houses. “These would just be residential homes”.

A source in the government told The Indian Express that the kandi area had about 60,000 acres of land that could be used for constructing farm houses. There are already several farm houses which were constructed much before the government brought the policy. The source said that the government would be charging a compounding fee that could go as high as four times the collector’s rate for regularising such structures.

The government will be charging a fee for the construction of the farm houses at Rs 300 per square yard in Pathankot and as high as Rs 1,200 per square yard in Mohali. “This will help fill up the coffers,” said the source, adding that the policy was a part of one of the many ideas of AAP leader Satyendar Jain, after he started overseeing the housing department of the state. Land pooling policy was also one of his ideas but the policy faced resistance and had to be withdrawn.

The farm houses on delisted land policy will not be without any eyebrows being raised. It is a well known fact that selling of land in the kandi area has been going on at a fast pace. Buzz is that several colonisers, bureaucrats and politicians also have purchased land in the area. A well known land shark also had sold farm houses of one acre each in plenty in the recent past. An official of the government said, “It would not be an exaggeration to say that many VIPs own land there. The delisting was done in 2011. There was plenty of time for everyone to sell and buy.”

He added that there is no survey conducted by the government yet as to how many farm houses already existed in the area. “We will know when we get applications for regularising these.”

Sources, however, said that the delisted land overlaps pockets of forest area. With so much of construction activity, the wildlife will be affected. There will be reports of human-animal conflict. No environment impact study has been done by the government, he added.

House session

The Cabinet also approved the summoning of the 10th (Special) Session of the Punjab Assembly at Anandpur Sahib as a part of the commemorative events to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The special session will be held at Bhai Jaita Ji on November 24.

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