Chandigarh, August 8: The UT Administration is evaluating a major land acquisition framework covering 1,750 acres of agricultural land across 22 villages at an estimated outlay of Rs 14,000 crore to drive holistic regional development.
Official plans outline that out of the total acquired area, 555 acres are designated for institutional infrastructure, while 1,195 acres will be utilized for residential and commercial ventures. The remaining 835 acres of unacquired farmland will be reserved as designated green belts under environmental guidelines.
The acquisition project is slated to be implemented by the Chandigarh Housing Board in a phased manner under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Authorities affirmed that a draft land pooling policy will be formulated after consulting farmer committees across all 22 villages to gather suggestions and objections prior to seeking approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Community representatives have welcomed the movement toward a formal policy framework. Satinderpal Singh Sidhu, president of the Chandigarh Pendu Vikas Manch, declared that introducing a farmer-friendly land pooling model would address long-standing land usage issues while ensuring rural landowners actively participate in planned city expansion.
