Representational image of protesters protesting in Punjab against the Land Pooling Policy of Punjab Government. Image Created with Grok AI by RMN News Service.
Punjab’s Land Pooling Policy: A Cruel Land Grab Violating Indian and International Laws
The RMN Foundation, in its report, labels the policy as a “land-grabbing scheme” that disproportionately harms small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, and rural communities.
By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | August 8, 2025
The Punjab government’s Land Pooling Policy, 2025, has sparked widespread outrage among farmers, activists, and opposition parties for its perceived assault on agricultural communities and fertile lands.
Marketed as a voluntary scheme to promote planned urban development, the policy has been criticized as a coercive land-grabbing mechanism that threatens the livelihoods of farmers and landless laborers while bypassing critical legal safeguards.
The policy’s implementation, targeting over 65,000 acres of prime agricultural land across 27 cities, has raised serious concerns about transparency, fairness, and compliance with both Indian and international laws.
This report explores the policy’s implications and the legal violations it allegedly perpetrates, drawing on insights from the RMN Foundation’s call to action against this unjust policy.
The Policy: A Facade of Voluntarism
Introduced in June 2025 under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Land Pooling Policy aims to acquire vast tracts of farmland for residential and industrial development in cities like Ludhiana, Mohali, Amritsar, and Jalandhar.
The government claims the policy is voluntary, offering landowners 1,000 square yards of residential plots and 200 square yards of commercial plots per acre of pooled land, with additional amendments providing annual compensation of ₹50,000 per acre until development begins.
However, critics argue that the policy’s promises are deceptive, and its implementation lacks genuine consent, threatening to displace entire villages and undermine Punjab’s agrarian economy, which is vital to India’s food security.
The RMN Foundation, in its report, labels the policy as a “land-grabbing scheme” that disproportionately harms small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, and rural communities. It accuses the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of prioritizing corporate interests and political funding over the welfare of Punjab’s people, alleging that the policy facilitates the transfer of fertile land to private developers and land mafias.
The backlash has been fierce, with protests erupting across the state, including in Chief Minister Mann’s own constituency of Dhuri, and legal challenges mounting in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Violations of Indian Laws
The Land Pooling Policy has been challenged for circumventing key provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act), a cornerstone of India’s land acquisition framework. The following sections of the LARR Act are allegedly violated:
1.Section 4: Social Impact Assessment (SIA)
The LARR Act mandates a comprehensive SIA to evaluate the social consequences of land acquisition, including its impact on livelihoods, food security, and marginalized communities.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has explicitly criticized the policy for failing to conduct an SIA, a mandatory requirement before notifying land acquisition. This omission disregards the potential displacement of landless laborers and the disruption of rural economies, rendering the policy legally questionable.
- Section 8: Determination of Public Purpose
The LARR Act requires that land acquisition serve a clearly defined public purpose, with assessments to ensure that the benefits outweigh the social and economic costs.
Critics argue that the Punjab government has not justified the policy’s public purpose, especially given the state’s existing surplus of residential and commercial projects. The policy’s focus on urban development at the expense of fertile agricultural land raises doubts about its alignment with public welfare.
- Section 10: Restrictions on Acquisition of Fertile Agricultural Land
The LARR Act prohibits the acquisition of multi-crop irrigated agricultural land except in exceptional circumstances. Punjab, known as India’s granary, relies heavily on its fertile lands for food production.
The policy’s targeting of over 65,000 acres of such land, particularly in Ludhiana (24,311 acres) and Mohali (6,000 acres), violates this provision by prioritizing urban expansion over food security without demonstrating exceptional need.
- Lack of Transparency and Legal Redress
The policy, based on the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, lacks a legal framework for transparency or grievance redressal, unlike the LARR Act, which provides mechanisms for affected parties to challenge acquisitions.
The RMN Foundation highlights that farmers and landowners are left without avenues to contest unfair terms, rendering the policy arbitrary and unconstitutional.
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Violations of International Laws
Beyond Indian law, the Punjab Land Pooling Policy raises concerns under international legal frameworks that protect human rights and sustainable development. The following instruments are relevant:
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), 2018
UNDROP, adopted by India, recognizes the rights of peasants to land, livelihoods, and food security. Article 17 emphasizes the right to land and protection against arbitrary dispossession.
The policy’s failure to ensure genuine consent and its potential to displace farmers and landless laborers violate these principles, undermining the economic security and cultural identity of Punjab’s rural communities.
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), 1966
India, as a signatory to the ICESCR, is obligated to protect the right to an adequate standard of living, including food and housing (Article 11). The policy’s threat to Punjab’s agrarian economy, which supports millions of livelihoods and contributes to national food security, contravenes this obligation. The lack of rehabilitation provisions for landless laborers further violates their right to work and sustenance.
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, 2011
These principles require states to protect against human rights abuses by businesses, including in land acquisition processes. The RMN News report suggests that the policy facilitates land transfers to private developers, potentially enabling corporate exploitation without adequate safeguards. This raises concerns about compliance with the principles’ emphasis on due diligence and accountability.
The Human Cost and Resistance
The policy’s impact extends beyond legal violations, threatening the very fabric of Punjab’s rural society. Farmers, who view their land as a source of identity and economic stability, have drawn parallels between this policy and the repealed 2020 farm laws, which sparked nationwide protests.
The RMN Foundation underscores that the policy could wipe out over 50 villages, displacing countless families and exacerbating food insecurity. Farmer unions, such as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union, have organized rallies, including a planned protest on August 16, 2025, in Baba Bakala, Amritsar, to demand the policy’s withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s interim stay on August 7, 2025 has provided temporary relief, but farmers remain vigilant, insisting on the policy’s complete scrapping.
A Call to Action
The RMN Foundation urges citizens to report grievances against the Land Pooling Policy through its news platform, emphasizing the need for collective action to protect Punjab’s farmers and preserve its agricultural heritage.
The policy’s legal and ethical shortcomings—its circumvention of the LARR Act, neglect of international human rights standards, and disregard for transparency—demand urgent scrutiny.
As Punjab approaches its 2027 Assembly elections, the government must prioritize dialogue with farmers, conduct mandatory impact assessments, and ensure that development does not come at the cost of justice and sustainability.
By standing with Punjab’s farmers, we can challenge this cruel policy and uphold the principles of fairness and equity enshrined in both Indian and international law. Join the fight to safeguard Punjab’s land and livelihoods—report now at rmnnews.com.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.
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