Revised Land Pooling Policy Promises Irrigation Benefits for Landowners in Punjab

The Punjab government has introduced additional incentives under its revised Land Pooling Policy, including priority tubewell connections for farmers whose land is acquired under the scheme. The move comes after the Punjab Cabinet approved the amended policy on July 1, with the official notification now issued. According to the notification, farmers whose land is acquired under the revised policy will be eligible for priority tubewell connections. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been directed to process such applications on priority once the landowner submits a land acquisition certificate issued by the Land Acquisition Collector along with the application. Farmers will have up to four years to avail themselves of the tubewell connection. The announcement is significant as new agricultural electricity connections in Punjab have remained restricted since the 2017-18 period. Along with other benefits under the revised policy, the government has included priority irrigation connections, which are considered an important requirement for many farmers. The revised policy also provides relief on stamp duty. Farmers who purchase agricultural land elsewhere in Punjab after their land is acquired under the Land Pooling Policy will not have to pay stamp duty on the new purchase, in addition to other commercial benefits available under the scheme. The issue of agricultural power connections has been politically significant in Punjab in the past. Before the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, the then Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance government had distributed nearly 32,000 tubewell connections under the chairmanship quota. However, the subsequent Congress government approved only around 7,000 of those connections, stating that processing fees had not been deposited for the remaining approximately 25,000 applications. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) continues to have restrictions in place regarding new agricultural tubewells. Despite the additional incentives announced under the revised policy, farmer organisations have maintained that they will not allow the forcible acquisition of agricultural land. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had first introduced the Land Pooling Policy on May 14, 2025, which faced strong opposition from farmers across Punjab. The government later amended the policy on June 4 and again on July 25, 2025. Following continued protests and farmers' refusal to part with their land, the government announced the withdrawal of the policy on August 11, 2025. The revised version was subsequently approved by the Punjab Cabinet on July 1, 2026. Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Keval Singh Dhillon criticised the provision of priority tubewell connections under the revised policy, calling it "a joke" for farmers. He questioned the usefulness of a tubewell connection if farmers no longer owned the land. Dhillon said the issue was not about compensation or additional facilities, but that farmers did not wish to surrender their agricultural land. He also alleged that valuable land was being targeted and stated that the BJP would oppose any move that affected farmers' rights.