Mohali, July 8 — Farmers from multiple villages in Mohali district gathered outside the office of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) on Monday, demanding an immediate rollback of the Punjab government’s land pooling policy. The protesters submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann through GMADA’s chief administrator, urging the government to stop what they called the “unjust and forceful acquisition” of their land.
“We are the rightful residents and cultivators of our villages. We do not consent to register our land with GMADA,” said Harvinder Singh, Lambardar from one of the protesting villages.
Villagers from Patton, Siau, Badi, Kishanpura, Kurdi, and Matran participated in the demonstration, asserting they would not give up their agricultural land under any circumstances. Many accused GMADA of offering compensation far below current market rates and pointed to unresolved grievances from earlier land acquisitions.
Citing the 2009 Aerocity project, the farmers said they had yet to receive full compensation or plot allotments. “If the government charges citizens 18% interest for delayed payments, why are farmers not paid interest for delayed allotments?” read the memorandum.
Protesters also raised objections to the Aerotropolis project, alleging that prime land was handed over to private builders while farmers were pushed into underdeveloped sectors. “Private developers have built luxury flats and are selling them at premium prices. We were given barren plots with no roads, no drainage, and no basic amenities,” said one farmer.
They also criticized past land deals for Sectors 88 and 89, where land taken in 2011 was compensated with plots in Sectors 95-A and 95-B—areas they claim are still without proper development. “The booths given to us are unusable. We cannot even rent them for another 15 years,” said another protester.
The farmers cited the IT City project and recent mixed-land use approvals in Ghawarpur, Bhat, and Chau Majra to argue that GMADA had reaped profits while original landowners were left without fair returns. They demanded the right to develop their own land, including building high-rises and luxury housing like private developers.
Referring to a past statement by the chief minister, the memorandum reminded the government, “The chief minister himself assured that no farmer would be forced to part with land.”
The protesters demanded their villages be excluded from the land pooling policy and the Periphery Act. They also called for their inclusion under the Zirakpur municipal committee, warning that any forced acquisition would escalate tensions and lead to unrest.
