Farmers from 22 Chandigarh villages protest, seek land pooling policy

Main demands of the farmers included a land pooling policy, abolition of the Lal Dora (red line), consolidation of villages into wards, the adjustment of collector rates to market rates, and the increase in the multiplier factor for agricultural land from 1.25 to 2

Farmers from 22 villages of the city, under the banner of the Chandigarh Pendu Vikas Manch, held a protest against the UT administration at the Sarangpur barrier on Monday in support of their long-pending demands.

Farmers protesting at the Sarangpur barrier in Chandigarh on Monday. (HT photo)

Main demands of the farmers included a land pooling policy, abolition of the Lal Dora (red line), consolidation of villages into wards, the adjustment of collector rates to market rates, and the increase in the multiplier factor for agricultural land from 1.25 to 2.

Farmers stated that despite the inclusion of all villages of Chandigarh with the Municipal Corporation, neither a land pooling policy nor a change in land use policy has been framed for agricultural land.

“If a land pooling policy is implemented, the Lal Dora scheme will be abolished, and a planned development will be ensured,” said Satinderpal Singh Sidhu, president of the manch.

Sidhu further said that the resentment of Chandigarh’s farmers was increasing day by day. “No policy has been made for those on whose land Chandigarh was built, whereas such policies exist for farmers in Punjab and Haryana,” he said, and added that there was widespread resentment among the villagers.

Along with Sidhu, HS Lucky, president of Chandigarh Congress; Tara Singh, president of the Chandigarh Gurudwara Association; along with other sarpanches and panches from the 22 villages of the UT, were also present at the protest.