Urban estate project hits roadblock as farmers say no to land pooling

The Punjab Government’s land pooling scheme hit a roadblock as several landowners and farmers from Siaun, Kurdi, Patton, Kishanpura and Naraingarh villages have decided against giving their land to Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).

The development authority had invited farmers and landowners from seven villages to offer their land under the land pooling policy for Aerotropolis Phase-2 near Aerocity and IT City. The authority plans to create urban estate by acquiring 3,535 acres in the area.

The team led by the Land Acquisition Collector Sanjeev Kumar, GMADA patwari Parminder Singh and others had a difficult time convincing landowners as negotiations hit a dead end.

The officials had called the meeting at Bari to discuss the issue with farmers and landowners from the village first, but members of panchayats and farmers of Kurdi, Patton, Siaun, Kishanpura and Naraingarh also reached the spot.

Kumar was handed over a letter of disagreement by the five panchayats. They refused to give their land to the government. The document carried signatures of farmers, sarpanches, nambardars and panches.

The development authority officials tried convincing landowners and heard their reservations, but could not iron out differences. Farmers said they felt cheated when GMADA last acquired land for another project.

“We were given residential and commercial places of lesser importance. Families were not given plots together.

Corner plots were not allotted to us at all,” they complained.

Showing the map to the officials, advocate Gurbir Singh Antal said despite promises of commercial places in 175 acres of prime land along the road connecting Deri village to the Airport Road, not even one farmer was allocated any space.

“The farmers were given showrooms and plots at less important places,” said Bari village sarpanch Harmeet Kaur. Kumar said the consent for acquiring land of about two dozen farmers from the area had already reached their office, adding, “Doubts of the farmers regarding the new policy will be brought to the notice of the higher authorities. The team will not go to villages from where panchayats have handed their written disagreement today.

Chandigarh