Land Pooling Policy withdrawn after farmers’ fury, Court stay; Opposition hails ‘Victory for Punjabis’; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 11, 2025 — The Punjab Government on Monday announced the withdrawal of its contentious Land Pooling Policy 2025, along with all subsequent amendments, just days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed its implementation.
In a press note issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the state said all actions under the policy — including Letters of Intent (LOIs), registrations, and related measures — will be reversed with immediate effect.
The High Court, in its August 9 order, observed that the policy had been notified in haste without conducting mandatory social or environmental impact assessments. Judges noted that the State intended to take over tens of thousands of acres of fertile agricultural land for urban projects without adequate study or justification.
Under the now-scrapped policy, the AAP-led Punjab government planned to acquire thousands of acres across districts for urban development, offering landowners developed residential and commercial plots in exchange. Critics, however, labeled the move as “anti-farmer” and “a backdoor land grab.”
Watch Video https://www.youtube.com/live/Xz24HmnrwBY
The withdrawal follows days of intense farmer mobilization. On Monday, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee staged large-scale motorcycle rallies across 15 districts, condemning the policy as a corporate-driven land takeover.
Leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Gurbachan Singh Chabba accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of acting as a “super CM” to serve corporate and central government interests. They claimed the scheme threatened 65,533 acres of fertile farmland and aimed to seize an additional 100,000 acres for industrial parks.
Protesters also issued strong demands, including:
- Banning entry of leaders from AAP, Akali Dal, Congress, and BJP into villages.
- Full support to striking electricity workers and opposition to smart meter installations.
- Complete loan waiver for farmers and laborers.
- Compensation of Rs 3.77 crore for losses during previous border protests.
A massive rally is planned in Kukkad village near Jalandhar, with organizers expecting over 1 lakh participants.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal hailed the policy reversal as a “victory for all Punjabis.” He credited Akali workers, farmers, shopkeepers, and laborers for uniting against the “land grab scheme” and forcing the government to retreat.
Badal alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party’s real aim was to raise Rs 30,000 crore from Delhi-based builders to expand its political footprint nationwide.
He vowed to continue holding the “corrupt and scam-ridden” AAP government accountable for “bankrupting Punjab, giving jobs to outsiders, destroying law and order, and empowering gangsters.”
Calling for unity, Badal urged Punjabis to rally behind SAD to “put Punjab back on track and secure the future of coming generations.”