Govt snatching fertile land: Patiala farmers oppose land pooling

A massive tractor march swept through four villages and neighbouring towns in Patiala district on Tuesday, as farmers voiced strong opposition to the state government’s land pooling policy.

Organised by the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), the protest saw over 500 tractors rolling through Sher Majra, Passiana, Chaura and Falauli, with farmers rallying against what they termed a forced and opaque land acquisition drive.

“This is being done in the name of urbanisation and providing affordable housing,” said a protesting farmer. “Has the government conducted any survey to determine the need for such large-scale housing? Why is there a requirement to acquire 65,533 acres of fertile agricultural land?”

Prem Singh Bhangu, president of the All-India Kisan Federation and a leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, criticised the move. “The government is snatching away fertile land from farmers in the name of building townships,” he said. “This is unacceptable and will be resisted.”

He questioned whether the state had conducted any social impact assessment regarding the displacement of over 20,000 families.

The farmers also raised doubts about the project’s viability, pointing to vacant flats across Punjab and incomplete development in cities like Chandigarh.

Raminder Singh Patiala, a senior member of the BKU (Ugrahan), said the policy lacked transparency. “We are not against farmers who wish to give up their land voluntarily. But we are flagging the potential risks. For instance, once the land is transferred to private developers and notified, how will farmers retain cultivation rights if no development takes place?”

District BKU secretary Balraj Joshi stated that the demonstration was a unified effort by all major farmer unions, signalling widespread disapproval of the government’s approach.

Officials from the Land Acquisition Authority confirmed that they have received consent for about 130 acres — 80 acres in Patiala Block A and 50 acres in Sher Majra — far short of the targeted 1,450 acres across the four villages.

Under the land pooling policy, for every acre surrendered, farmers are promised a 1,000 sq yard residential plot and a 200 sq yard commercial site. However, farmer leaders remain unconvinced.

“Any land acquisition should be done strictly under the Land Acquisition Act,” Joshi said. “Land pooling is a backdoor method that denies farmers fair compensation and legal safeguards.”

Patiala