Chandigarh, July 25: Punjab cabinet minister Aman Arora on Thursday strongly defended the state’s new land pooling policy, accusing opposition parties of hypocrisy and misleading the public for political gain.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Arora—who also serves as Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) state president—claimed that the policy framework was originally introduced by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP government, which, along with Congress, is now opposing it.
“The same parties that are protesting today had themselves approved master plans for cities like Mohali, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Hoshiarpur,” said Arora. “These plans cleared the way for private developers to build colonies that lacked even basic infrastructure. Over 20,000 acres were encroached without accountability.”
He asserted that the newly launched land pooling model promotes planned urban development and transparency while giving landowners more flexibility and control. “It’s public-centric and farmer-friendly. It doesn’t restrict land transactions and gives multiple options to landowners,” he said.
Criticising past administrations, Arora said poor civic conditions in many colonies were the result of previous governments’ ties with defaulter builders. “Where were sewage systems, streetlights, or proper roads in the colonies they approved? If Mohali deserves better development, why not Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, or Ferozepur?” he asked.
As part of the policy benefits, landowners are entitled to ₹50,000 per acre annually, an additional ₹1 lakh on possession, and the flexibility to exchange their land for developed residential and commercial plots. For every acre pooled, the government will return 1,000 square yards of developed residential land and 200 square yards of commercial land.
Landowners can also choose to develop their land independently, partner with the government, or collaborate with private developers, Arora said.
Calling the opposition’s narrative “misleading,” he demanded that SAD, BJP and Congress issue a public apology for what he termed a deliberate campaign to discredit reforms aimed at regularising and improving urban growth.
