Jalandhar- During an exclusive interview with senior journalist Sanjeev Kumar, renowned social activist and activist Mandeep Manna called the Punjab government's land pooling scheme disastrous for farmers and said that this scheme has been made only to benefit the mafia.
He said that under this scheme, 65,000 acres of land have already been taken over by the government. The government is promising that farmers will be given Rs 1 lakh annually in return for every acre, for which Rs 640 crore will be required. Manna raised the question, "Where will this money come from?"
He alleged that no provision has been made for any house or accommodation for the economically weaker section in this scheme, which raises questions about the intention of this scheme.
Manna also challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's statement in which he had said that "if a farmer does not want to give his land, he will not be forced." But Manna says that "in reality, what is happening is that farmers' land is being confiscated, they are not being given NOC - this is an act that is destroying the freedom of the farmer."
He claimed that the government is not working for the welfare of the people, but only for the interests of the mafia. Manna also said that it is impossible that the government is taking loans by mortgaging this land, so that the Rs 1000 per month scheme for women can be run.
Today, Manna also condemned the Shiromani Akali Dal's protest against this scheme. He said, "This same scheme was introduced earlier by the Akali-BJP government, now the opposition is being done only for political gains."
Finally, Manna warned the Punjabis, saying, "If you don't wake up now, it will be too late — Punjabis will have to unite, otherwise even their own land will not be able to survive."