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Farmers misled on land pooling scheme: Dallewal
According to Dallewal, a massive gathering will be organised at the grain market of Jodhan village of the district on Thursday; he has urged people to participate in it to oppose the land pooling policy
Flaying the state government’s land pooling policy, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday said farmers were ready to go to any extent to protect their land. Addressing a press conference in Ludhiana after holding a meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM, non-political), Dallewal said a massive gathering would be organised at the grain market of Jodhan village of the district on Thursday (August 7). The objective is to compel the Punjab government to withdraw the controversial land pooling policy.
Urging the people of the state to participate in the August 7 event, he accused the state government of misleading farmers on the land pooling scheme. “The farmer unions are uniting to resist what they see as land grabbing under the guise of development,” said Dallewal while recalling the farmers’ protest at Singhu and Tikri on Haryana-Delhi border a few years ago.
Referring to chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s announcements regarding annual compensation for pooled land, Dallewal said, “First, it was ₹30,000 per acre per year, then ₹50,000, then ₹1 lakh with a promise of a 10% annual increase. These shifting statements show lack of transparency.”
“If a farmer’s land is worth ₹1 crore, the government must return ₹4 crore worth of developed land. Anything less is exploitation,” he stated. Dallewal further stated that the state government planned to take 75% of land for free and leave only 25% with the owners. “On top of that, a 60% development charge will be levied. If a farmer doesn’t construct or cultivate on the allotted land, they’ll be fined ₹500 per day. If unused for 15 years, the land will be taken back,” he warned.
