In a significant policy reversal following the intervention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Punjab government has amended its Farm Stay Policy, 2026, excluding land protected under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, as well as land released or de-listed from its provisions.
The amendment, notified by the department of tourism and cultural affairs on September 15, comes ahead of the next hearing before the NGT principal bench in New Delhi on September 18. The state government filed an affidavit before the tribunal on September 16, stating that it had made the changes in compliance with the NGT’s July 24 order.
The PLPA is intended to protect environmentally fragile areas and regulate activities that could contribute to soil erosion and degradation of natural resources. According to the figures cited in the matter, around 3.26 lakh acres in Punjab fall under the PLPA, while nearly 1.40 lakh acres comprise land that has been de-listed from its protective provisions.
The amended policy explicitly excludes land falling under the PLPA, 1900, and land released or de-listed from its provisions.
Introduced in May this year, the Farm Stay Policy aims to promote rural tourism, encourage farmers to diversify their sources of income and provide visitors with rural and experiential tourism opportunities. Since its launch, the department has received 35 applications, of which 21 have been approved, 12 are pending, and two have been rejected, according to the details provided.
{{/usCountry}}Introduced in May this year, the Farm Stay Policy aims to promote rural tourism, encourage farmers to diversify their sources of income and provide visitors with rural and experiential tourism opportunities. Since its launch, the department has received 35 applications, of which 21 have been approved, 12 are pending, and two have been rejected, according to the details provided.
{{/usCountry}}Besides the exclusion of PLPA and de-listed land, the government has made other changes to the policy. A provision relating to electricity supply has been amended to state that electricity will be charged at domestic tariff rates, subject to notification by the competent authorities. A note under Clause 3.2(2) and Clause 8.2.1 has also been deleted, while the remaining provisions of the policy notified on May 6 will continue to remain in force.
The amendment follows an undertaking given by the Punjab government before the NGT that PLPA land and land released or de-listed from the Act would remain outside the ambit of the policy. The government’s affidavit said the latest notification addresses the concern raised over the policy’s applicability to such land.
The affidavit filed by Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, director, department of tourism and cultural affairs, seeks to place the amended policy on record and have the directions issued by the tribunal on July 24 treated as complied with.
Kapil Dev, president of the Council of Engineers, which challenged the policy before the green tribunal, said the original policy had raised concerns over the protection of Punjab’s forests and environmentally sensitive areas. “Tourism cannot be promoted by destroying the forests and green landscapes that attract tourists in the first place,” he said, calling for greater transparency over land interests in environmentally sensitive areas.
The development comes against the backdrop of another Punjab government policy facing NGT scrutiny. The Low Impact Green Housing (LIGH) Policy, 2025, notified by the department of housing and urban development in November 2025, has also faced proceedings before the green tribunal over environmental and forest-conservation concerns.