Will Halwara airport push Punjab's land pooling policy forward?
The Punjab government's ambitious land pooling policy, which seeks to acquire over 24,000 acres across 44 villages in Ludhiana, falls in the vicinity of this upcoming airport. But whether the airport's launch will help the policy gain traction remains a contentious question – especially among farmers.
Many farmers are sceptical, viewing the timing of the inauguration as strategic, given the resistance to land acquisition.
'The timing is no coincidence,' said Didar Singh Malak, a farmer from Malak village in Jagraon constituency.
'But real farmers won't voluntarily join this policy. Maybe some realtors who bought land earlier will participate. Now that an airport is coming, this region will boom – why should we give up our land when there's no development timeline and no trust in the government?' he added.
Malak's concern is echoed by Balwinder Singh, a Ferozepur-based farmer whose ancestral land falls in Ballowal village, one of the affected areas.
'Over 1,800 objections have been filed by farmers from these villages,' he said.
The farmer then added, 'We want the government to declare how many have supported the policy, not just assume it. Farmers who fought the farm laws in 2020 are ready for another struggle. Halwara airport is a welcome step for development, but that doesn't mean we'll surrender our land.'
Sources said a few realtors have already handed over acquired land in Noorpur Bet village to the Punjab government under the land pooling framework for urban estate development.
The villages closest to Halwara airport include Birmi, Issewal, Dakha, Bhanohar, Baddowal, Gahaur, Threeke, Jhande, Hassanpur, Pamal, Narangwal, Jodhan, Rattan, Pamali, Rurka, and others – many of which fall directly under the land pooling policy radar.
Protests are heating up across the Jagraon constituency. Villagers are reportedly planning to burn effigies of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and MLA Sarabjit Kaur Manuke on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is mobilising farmers for a massive rally in Mullanpur on July 24, followed by tractor marches across all villages under the land pooling policy across Punjab on July 30.
In total, over 40,000 acres of land across Punjab are being targeted under this policy, with Ludhiana district alone contributing the lion's share of over 24,000 acres.
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