Ludhiana: HC pressure forced rollback of land-pooling policy, says Ashu

Cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond stated that the Punjab government always makes decisions based on public opinion

Senior Congress leader and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Tuesday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government withdrew the controversial land-pooling policy only because of the pressure from the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC). It was not due to any sympathy with farmers, he alleged.

Ashu said AAP leaders and ministers are now trying to “save face” by claiming that they listened to the farmers’ demand (HT Photo)

Ashu said AAP leaders and ministers are now trying to “save face” by claiming that they listened to the farmers’ demand. “The fact is that the AAP government was not left with any option after the Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the policy,” he noted.

“Their intention was quite clear to snatch away 50,000 acres of land worth lakhs of crores of rupees from farmers/landowners without their consent or any compensation,” he said.

“The AAP will meet the same fate as that of the BJP that came up with the three farm laws (which were later withdrawn),” he noted.

Decision based on public opinion: Sond

Cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond visited Asia’s largest grain market and met with farmers and commission agents to hear their suggestions. He stated that the Punjab government always makes decisions based on public opinion. “The land-pooling policy was not acceptable to farmers so the government withdrew it with a family-like approach. When the central government imposed three farm laws, farmers across the country protested and at that time, the AAP government in Delhi stood firmly with farmers against the Modi government,” he said.

The minister emphasised that the Punjab government’s goal is to ensure farmers’ prosperity and strengthen their economic condition, assuring that every necessary step would be taken for their welfare. On this occasion, the new team of the Khanna farmers’ wing was also announced, with Yadwinder Singh Libra appointed as president and Lakhveer Singh Gill as general secretary. Sond congratulated both and expressed confidence that they would work diligently for the welfare of farmers.

Khanna Market Committee chairman Jagtar Singh Gill Rattanheri and others were also present.