Chandigarh, Jul 29 (PTI) Calling it a “fraud with the farmers and other landowners”, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said the statewide agitation against the Punjab government’s land pooling scheme will be further intensified and continue until the ruling AAP withdraws it.
A resolution to this effect was passed at a meeting of the party’s core committee here which was presided over by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The resolution declared, among other things, that the next dharna against this scheme will be held at Bathinda on August 4 and Patiala on August 11 to be followed by similar protests at all other district headquarters.
Earlier on Monday, the SAD chief at a dharna in Mohali called the land pooling scheme a “land grabbing scheme”.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has been facing flak from the opposition parties, which dubbed its land pooling policy a “looting” scheme to “rob” the farmers of their land.
The AAP has out at the opposition parties for spreading misleading propaganda against the state government’s land pooling policy, with party leaders describing it as “farmer-friendly”.
The Punjab Cabinet had last month given its nod to the land pooling policy and asserted that not a single yard would be forcibly acquired from the landowners.
Under the land pooling policy, an owner will be given a 1000 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.
After clearing the policy last month, the government had said that it was designed to foster transparent and planned urban development across the state.
Meanwhile, Badal before the core committee meeting flagged off the SAD’s statewide campaign, “Proud to be Akali” (Mainu Maan Akali Hon Te) by releasing and pasting stickers on the party workers’ vehicles and also releasing flags to be hoisted on homes of all workers and supporters. PTI SUN AS AS
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