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Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Govt dreaming of building concrete cities and urban jungles over fertile land: KMM
Farmers and labourers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) submitted memorandums at the deputy commissioner (DC) offices across the state, demanding the Punjab government 'repeal its ambitious land pooling policy'. Addressing the media, KMM coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher said, 'Following the central government's model, the state government is trying to benefit corporate interests by dreaming of building concrete cities and urban jungles over Punjab's fertile land, a move that will be firmly resisted.' Questioning the government's 'intention,' Pandher said, 'There is no data on demand for housing colonies, yet Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led state government, under pressure from Delhi-based lobbies, is aggressively pursuing a policy that threatens to displace entire villages.' 'Government representatives cite examples from Dubai and other countries, but those nations built structures on barren land, and not on fertile lands that produce three to four crops a year,' Pandher said. Pandher emphasised that the policy 'isn't just harmful to farmers, but it would also affect farm labourers, small shopkeepers, commission agents (arhtiyas), and middle-class traders'. Terming the government's claim that 'land won't be forcibly acquired false, Pandher read out a clause in the policy, purportedly reading 'if landowners on both sides of a plot agree to pooling, the landowner in between could lose his land even without consent under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act'. Criticising the 'cost-sharing clause' in the land pooling policy, Pandher said, 'The policy mandates landowners to bear 60 per cent of the development cost, while the development authority pays 40 per cent.' Referring to Cabinet Minister for Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management, Water Supply & Sanitation and Housing and Urban Development Hardeep Mundian's remarks that 'land with bank loans will have the debt transferred to the allotted plots,' Pandher questioned, 'If the farmer no longer owns cultivable land, how will they repay those loans?' The KMM coordinator accused the government of 'trying to grab land under the guise of generous offers like Rs 1 lakh annual lease payments', calling it 'unrealistic'. 'How will a government struggling financially afford Rs 650 crore annually for 65,000 acres?' he asked. Referring to the statements of the Punjab CM and other Cabinet ministers that the Opposition was 'misleading farmers,' Pandher said, 'We are not illiterates…the time has changed now and everyone can read the policy and understand its pros and cons… farmers know what is good or bad for them. Rather, the government is misleading the public.' Pandher also questioned the August 4 deadline provided to landowners to file objections, and warned, 'There is no clear recourse whether the farmers' objections will be rejected during the hearings.' Calling upon the farmer and labourer organisations in Punjab to set aside differences and fight the land pooling policy unitedly, Pandher announced full support for the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's (SKM) tractor march on July 30, and appealed to the public to actively support all such united efforts. BKU (Krantikari) president Surjit Singh Phool said, 'The promise of 'affordable housing' is hollow. At the current government rate, a five marla plot will cost Rs 45 to Rs 50 lakh, making it unaffordable even for the middle class. So, who will buy plots in these government-developed colonies? The real motive behind the policy is to seize land and lease it to corporate houses for large-scale corporate farming on the pretext of urban development. That's why the policy targets highly fertile land close to highways.' BKU (Azad) president Jaswinder Singh Longowal said, 'Thousands of colonies already exist around New Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Phagwara. Why don't the government regularise those colonies first instead of setting up new colonies?' Leaders who submitted the memorandums at various locations are Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra (Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee), Omkar Singh Bhangala (Kisan Mazdoor Hitkari Sabha), Malkeet Singh Gulamiwala (Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, Punjab), Dilbag Singh Gill (Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union), Manjeet Singh Rai (BKU, Doaba), Jang Singh Bhateri (BKU, Bhateri), Balwant Singh Behramke and Guramneet Singh Mangat (BKU, Behramke), and several others. The major demands in the memorandums included, among others, compensation for property and items lost during the forced dismantling of protest sites at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders; complete waiver of farmers' and labourers' loans; the passage of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) Guarantee Act in the Punjab Assembly and pressing the central government to implement it and few other demands.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Opposition to Punjab's land-pooling policy brings together farmers
Opposition to Punjab's land-pooling policy brings together farmers BATHINDA: Resistance to AAP-led Punjab government's land-pooling policy is acting as the glue to bring together fractured farm organisations and individual farmers beyond political affiliation, reports Neel Kamal. It appears to be rekindling farm struggles that seemed to be losing momentum - seeing that there was not much hue and cry after Punjab Police slammed shut the protests at Shambhu and Khanauri borders with Haryana. The Bhagwant Mann government has been trying to convince people that land-pooling scheme was beneficial to farmers but it hasn't been able to dispel farmers' apprehension of losing land. Individual farmers from villages where land is being 'pooled' - those so far not associated with farm organisations - are now turning towards them to oppose the scheme. The policy aims to pool over 40,000 acres of farmland to promote planned urban development. It's a land-for-land scheme, where landowners voluntarily give up land and are given developed residential and commercial plots in exchange. SKM's green light to its Punjab chapter to hold tractor rallies on July 30 in villages that are likely to be brought under land-pooling scheme has come as a boost to forces opposing the scheme. The national committee of KMM has also backed the SKM call, further emboldening resistance.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Farmers body KMM opposes Punjabs land-pooling policy
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Chandigarh, Jul 23 (PTI) Farmers' body Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Wednesday opposed the Punjab government's land-pooling policy, alleging that the Bhagwant Mann dispensation wanted to 'plunder" farmers' fertile land at the behest of corporates under the garb of this scheme. Rejecting the policy in a meeting held here, KMM said farmers will hand over memorandums at district headquarters on July 28, seeking its withdrawal. KMM coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher said it will also hold a rally 'Zameen Bachao Pind Bachao Punjab Bachao' against the land-pooling policy on August 20 in Jalandhar. Speaking to reporters here, Pandher said that on August 11, a motorcycle march will be taken out to protest against the policy. Pandher said farmers do not want to part with their land and alleged that the state government wanted to 'plunder" farmers' fertile land on the pretext of setting up urban development at the behest of real estate companies. He further said that many village panchayats in the state are passing resolutions against the policy. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, has already opposed the land-pooling policy and demanded its withdrawal. The AAP government has been facing flak from the opposition parties, which dubbed the policy a 'looting" scheme to 'rob" farmers of their land. The Punjab Cabinet last month gave its nod to the land-pooling policy, and had then asserted that not even a single yard will be forcibly acquired from land owners. Under the land pooling policy, a land owner will be given a 1,000 square yards of residential plot and a 200 square yards of commercial plot in fully developed land in lieu of one acre of land, the state government had said earlier. PTI CHS MNK MNK view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 21:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cost of Shambhu border protest: Farm group Kisan Mazdoor Morcha got 20.6L for 13-month stir, left with Rs 1,734
Bathinda: Farmer forum Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Saturday released details of the donations it received and the expenses it made during the 13-month-long protest helmed by the farmers' body at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana from Feb 13, 2024, to Mar 19 this year. The protest, along with another stir helmed by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) at Khanauri border between the two states, was carried out to demand a legal right for farmers on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, calculated for a 50% profit over comprehensive cost. KMM claimed that it received Rs 20,58,254 over the 13 months and spent Rs 20,56,520, leaving it with cash at hand of Rs 1,734. KMM also released a month-wise account of the funds for the period from Feb 2024 to Mar 2025. According to details, KMM received the highest amount in donations in May 2024, getting Rs 6,53,650. The lowest collection was made in Jan 2025, with the group getting just Rs 39,095 for the entire month. The highest expenditure was incurred in April and May 2024, when over Rs 5 lakh each were spent. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) is yet to release the details of its accounts. The group headed by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who went on a hunger strike for MSP, said it will make public its accounts on June 25. KMM accounts committee member Guramneet Singh Mangat said they audited their accounts in April, but a couple of receipt books went missing when police forcibly demolished the morcha site on March 19. "We had to find those receipts and then audit the accounts. This is why the process was delayed," he said. SKM (Non-Political) functionary Abhimanyu Kohar said both forums met on June 19, where accounts from both sides were shared. "We are busy with some engagements and the accounts will be put in the public domain on June 25," he said. The collection of funds was mired in controversy even during the previous 2020-21 farmers' protest on the borders of Delhi, as certain leaders alleged misappropriation of funds. MSID:: 121991783 413 |
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ahead of Tuesday's protest call, a midnight crackdown on Punjab farmers' leaders; Jagjit Singh Dallewal under house arrest
The Punjab Police launched coordinated action against several farmer leaders in the early hours of Monday ahead of Tuesday's protest call given by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) outside the Shambhu police station. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a key face of the ongoing farmers' agitation, was among the prominent leaders placed under house arrest at around 4 am at his house in the Dallewal village in the Faridkot district. 'This is a midnight assault on democracy. Even now, I can barely walk, and yet they have confined me to my home. All we had announced was a one-day peaceful protest outside the Shambhu police station. People must now rise and speak out, or they will silence all our voices,' said Dallewal, visibly weak after a recent prolonged hunger strike. The police action was not limited to Dallewal. Multiple leaders across Punjab were either detained or placed under house arrest in a sweeping move that has drawn sharp criticism from various farmer organisations. While leaders like Baldev Singh Sirsa were also confined to their homes, others like Sukhjeet Singh Hardo Jhande, Kulwinder Singh Panjola, Hardev Singh Chitti, Gurpreet Singh Cheena, Shera Athwal, and Harvinder Singh Masaania were taken into custody and lodged at different police stations, including Batala, Ropar, Dorangla, and Sekhwan, said KMM leader Sukhdev Singh Bhojraj. The arrests are being seen as a pre-emptive measure by the authorities fearing a large-scale gathering at Shambhu, where KMM and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) staged a 36-day dharna from February 13, 2024, to March 19, 2025, demanding, a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) among other things. That protest was forcibly cleared on March 19 when several top leaders were returning from talks with the Centre and the Punjab Government, and were arrested en route from Mohali. Dallewal alleged, 'During the March 19 crackdown at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, the police misbehaved with farmer leaders and displaced tractors, trolleys, and personal belongings. Some items were later recovered from the houses of influential people connected to the ruling government, including a police employee. We demanded action, but nothing was done. Instead, they're now arresting us for demanding justice.' In a fresh escalation, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) Sunday night gave a call for a rail roko protest at the Devidaspura Railway Station on the main Amritsar- Delhi line beginning May 7. The protest is against alleged forced land acquisition for the Bharatmala highway project in Amritsar without adequate compensation. KMSC coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher warned that the protest may spread to more stations from May 8 onwards, including Basti Tenkan Wali at Ferozepur, if the issue remains unresolved. Farmer leaders have urged all like-minded organisations and the public to unite against what they termed the Punjab Government's 'diktat to silence dissent.'
