How Punjab’s 3 ‘money-minting’ schemes fell flat in 7 months
The policies were designed to generate quick revenue and were expected to help the cash‑strapped AAP government finance its ambitious promise of paying Rs 1,000 per month to women.
4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Feb 25, 2026 02:33 PM IST
In August last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the land pooling policy for four weeks, a development that was seen as a significant blow to the Bhagwant Mann government. (File Photo)
In just seven months, at least three of Punjab’s much‑hyped “money‑minting” policies have fallen flat. Either stalled, withdrawn, or stayed, these measures—from land pooling and farmhouses to cooperative societies and power utility land transfers—were designed to generate quick revenue and expected to help the fund‑starved government finance its ambitious goals, especially the promise to give Rs 1,000 per month to women.
1. Land pooling: A plan to generate revenue without messy acquisitions
It began in August 2025 with a land pooling policy. The idea was sold as a win-win. The farmers would have to voluntarily pool land for development and, in return, get a share in developed plots. The government had identified more than 40,000 acres of land for land pooling and hoped this would unlock thousands of acres without messy acquisitions and bring in hefty revenues through urban expansion.
But the move faced massive protests by farmers, landowners and opposition parties. As many as 107 panchayats passed resolutions against offering their land under the land pooling policy. Only 115 farmers and landowners, mostly realtors, pledged their land to the government under the policy.
In August last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the policy for four weeks, a development that was seen as a significant blow to the Bhagwant Mann government, which had pitched the policy as a “game-changer” and a “landmark reform” to tackle haphazard urban growth and curb the influence of land mafias.
Internally, the government was eyeing a revenue of Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore through this policy. It was planning to pump this money into infrastructure and development in the last year of the incumbent government, before it faced the next Assembly elections in early 2027. The government was also planning to pay Rs 1,000 per month to women voters, a pre-poll promise of the Aam Aadmi Party, from the funds generated.
2: A farmhouse policy that ran into NGT hurdle
The Punjab government’s farmhouse policy aimed to regularise existing farmhouses and permit new low-impact residential units on land that had been de-listed from the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA). These lands were largely in the environmentally sensitive kandi belt, from Mohali to Pathankot.
Story continues below this ad
The kandi area had about 60,000 acres of land that could be used to construct farmhouses, and the government planned to charge a compounding fee that could go as high as four times the collector’s rate.
Advocate Kapil Arora challenged the policy, alleging it violated Supreme Court directions regarding land taken out of preview of the PLPA. The policy, he said, favoured VIPs and land sharks who had already constructed structures in violation of the top court’s directions. On December 18, 2025, the National Green Tribunal granted an interim stay on the implementation of the policy after the government said it would not move ahead.
3. Property registration plan dropped
In a notification on November 21, 2025, the government made it mandatory for owners of all apartments/flats in cooperative housing societies to get their units registered by paying stamp and collector’s duties, retrospectively. The order affected about 50,000 apartment owners in about 600 cooperative housing societies.
The move was a bid to earn Rs 200 crore, but it did not go down well with the owners of such properties. The government then reviewed its decision and made the registration mandatory only for prospective buyers.
Story continues below this ad
Under the revised framework, members whose names appeared in the records of cooperative housing societies as of November 20, 2025, will be eligible for concessional registration of one conveyance or transfer deed. Such members will not be liable to pay stamp duty or other statutory levies, including infrastructure cesses, and will only be required to pay a registration fee of 1 per cent, subject to a maximum cap of Rs 2 lakh. The issue also reached the high court.
Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India.
Professional Background
Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state.
Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions.
Special Projects:
Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship.
Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government:
1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs
"Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA.
"Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor.
"Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas.
2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls
"Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections.
"AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections.
"Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership.
3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy
"Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government.
"Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP.
4. Welfare & Economy
"Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program.
"Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025).
Signature Beat
Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens.
X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More
