Bowing to farmers' protests, Punjab withdraws Land Pooling Policy 2025

After sustained protests by farmers, the Punjab government on Monday, August 11, withdrew the controversial Land Pooling Policy 2025.

The Housing and Urban Development Department said the policy dated May 14, 2025 and all its amendments were being withdrawn, and that all letters of intent (LOIs), registrations and other actions taken under it would be reversed.

Under the policy, the government had planned to pool about 65,000 acres across 165 villages and 27 cities for industrial and residential development.

Farmer unions, farm labourers and opposition parties had strongly opposed it, with tractor marches and protests across villages.

Earlier, on August 7, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the policy, noting that the state had not carried out a social impact assessment or an environmental impact assessment.