Punjab’s Land Pooling Policy Draws Transparency Concerns

Chandigarh — Even before its eventual withdrawal, Punjab’s Land Pooling Policy 2025 had come under heavy scrutiny from farmers, labourers, and policy experts, who raised serious concerns over its intent, transparency, and long-term impact on rural communities.

The policy, announced earlier this year by the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government, aimed to collect agricultural plots from multiple landowners to create larger tracts for infrastructure and development projects. In exchange, contributors would receive developed plots or compensation. The government described the scheme as voluntary and said it would benefit landowners by increasing the eventual value of their property.

However, stakeholders from across Punjab voiced doubts about both the motives and execution of the plan. Farmer unions argued that the “voluntary” label could be misleading in a state where economic pressures, political influence, and bureaucratic persuasion often leave small landowners with little real choice. Agricultural labour groups warned that large-scale conversion of farmland into urban projects would directly affect rural employment and destabilize communities dependent on agriculture.

Several local leaders and policy analysts also questioned the consultation process. They claimed the policy was introduced without adequate public discussion, village-level meetings, or transparent communication of potential risks. Critics pointed out that the absence of clear guidelines on compensation calculation, return timelines, and dispute resolution mechanisms left farmers vulnerable to exploitation.

“In a democracy, policies that affect livelihoods must be shaped through open dialogue, not top-down imposition,” said a representative of a prominent farmers’ union. “Here, even the basic details were hard to access for most rural residents.”

Concerns over intent were amplified by fears that the scheme could ultimately benefit private developers more than farmers. Some alleged that influential builders and corporate entities stood to gain prime land at relatively low costs, especially in rapidly urbanizing districts like Mohali, Ludhiana, and Amritsar.

The government had insisted that the policy would be a win-win model, citing examples from other states and countries where land pooling had been used to expand cities without displacing people outright. But the skepticism in Punjab ran deep, rooted in historical experiences of land acquisition disputes and distrust toward official assurances.

Public resistance quickly grew into organized protests, with farmers, labourers, and village panchayats joining hands. Demonstrations and sit-ins were staged across the state, not only calling for policy amendments but demanding a complete rollback. Social media campaigns added to the pressure, amplifying voices from small towns and villages that rarely make headlines.

The uproar over the policy became so intense that it eventually led to its withdrawal, with the Punjab Cabinet announcing the decision earlier this week. But for many stakeholders, the episode remains a cautionary tale about governance and transparency.

“This should be a lesson,” said an agricultural policy researcher in Chandigarh. “If the government wants cooperation on development, it must first build trust — and trust comes from listening, not announcing.”