Punjab scraps land pooling policy after farmers’ opposition

The North News

Chandigarh, August 11
Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has withdrawn its Land Pooling Policy 2025 after farmers opposed the scheme, state minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said on Monday.

The policy aimed to make farmers stakeholders in urban development, boost the value of their land and link them with modern infrastructure.

However, Mr Mundian said the government believed that “real development” could only happen when farmers were “happy and satisfied”.

He added that imposing a policy against their wishes would go against public interest and democratic principles.

“Under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s leadership, we have taken a historic decision to withdraw the Land Pooling Policy, giving the highest importance to farmers’ voices,” Mr Mundian said in Chandigarh.

He described the move as a sign that farmers were considered “family” by the government, stressing that the state prioritised trust and participatory governance over “stubbornness”.

Mr Mundian said farmers could be assured that their land, rights and livelihoods would be protected, and no policy would be implemented without their consent.