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Punjab land pooling scheme: Govt open to talks with farmers, says Aman Arora
Arora says that if anyone has any issue with the scheme, there is no need to hold dharnas and politicise the matter, the chief minister and other officials are available to hear suggestions, he adds
Amid escalating protests against the state’s land pooling scheme, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president and cabinet minister Aman Arora said on Tuesday that the Punjab government is open to dialogue with farmers who have constructive suggestions about the policy to acquire land in 27 towns and cities for creating a land bank in the state.
Arora said that if anyone has any issue with the scheme, there is no need to hold dharnas and politicise the matter. He said the chief minister, the cabinet minister in-charge, and senior officers of the housing and urban development department are always available to hear their suggestions and clarify their doubts.
“All are welcome to talk. We are receptive to ideas. There has been no breakdown in talks and everyone, including farmers and other landowners, are free to give their suggestions,” he said while responding to media queries at a press conference here.
The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government is facing backlash from farmers and opposition parties, both questioning the government’s intent behind acquisition of such large tracts of land, particularly in Ludhiana and Mohali. Arora described the scheme as farmer-friendly and based on mutual consent, emphasising that not a single inch of land would be taken forcibly from any landowner. “All concerns can be addressed through dialogue,” he said.
