CHANDIGARH: Amid the backlash from farmers and opposition parties over its controversial land pooling policy, the AAP-led Punjab government, which is also grappling with growing internal dissent, withdrew it on Monday.
With nineteen months left for the 2027 assembly elections, the AAP government was facing mounting pressure as farmer protests intensified. The protesters burned effigies of CM Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, while opposition parties termed the policy "anti-peasantry and impractical."
Sources said that the state leadership of the AAP was unanimous in their view that the policy was politically disadvantageous for the party as it had "overshadowed" the other achievements of the government and the protests against it had become "too hot to handle".
A statement issued by Principal Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Vikas Garg, read, "The government hereby withdraws the Land Pooling Policy dated 14.5.2025 and its subsequent amendments. Consequently, all actions, like LOIs issued, registries done or any other action taken there under shall be reversed henceforth.”
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the policy last week, coming down heavily on the government for bringing it in without undertaking any environmental or social impact assessment.
As per the policy, the state government planned to acquire 65,533 acres of land across 21 cities and towns in the state to develop both industrial and residential zones. The move is said to be the largest acquisition of land by the Punjab government since 1966.
The policy was first announced in June, after which all political parties and farmer unions started their protest. Within the AAP too, some leaders started showing dissent over the policy, asking the party leadership to first address the concerns of farmers.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, "The farmers have been vindicated in their opposition to the land pooling policy which would not only have turned them into paupers but would have damaged Punjab socially, economically and environmentally," expressing relief that better sense prevailed on the government.
Reacting to the development, Warring said it was a victory of the farmers and congratulated them for standing firm against this policy whose obvious aim was to rob them of land worth lakhs of crores of rupees without any compensation and without their consent.
Former Congress MLA Kuljit Nagra said just like the BJP government took back the three controversial farm laws after pressure from farmers, the AAP government has also been forced to withdraw the policy.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that he salutes the brave Akali workers, farmers, labourers and shop keepers who rose as one and forced Arvind Kejriwal to withdraw the land pooling scheme which was in effect a land grab.
Sunil Jakhar, president of the Punjab BJP, said, "The BJP strongly opposed the government's land pooling policy, which aimed to seize farmers' land, and actively raised public awareness about it. Ultimately, due to public outrage, pressure from the BJP, and a reprimand from the High Court, the government was forced to withdraw the policy. This is a victory for the unity of the people."
Senior farmer leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said it is a big win for the farmers of the state who fought a united battle against the government. "The government should bring a resolution in the state cabinet and the state assembly and then de-notify the policy otherwise it is a mere eye wash," he said.
Prem Singh Bhangu, President All India Kisan Federation, said the widespread resentment and anger of farmers and other landless people in the state compelled the government to withdraw the anti-people policy. "It is a moral and political defeat of the government," he added.