The panchayat department of the Punjab government is busy in preparing schedule for upcoming auctions of Panchayati land across the state to be given on annual lease. The auctions are expected to start by April end.
Punjab has a total 1.57 lakh acres Panchayati land out of which one fourth is reserved for Dalits which is a total of 52,000 acres. However, this year few changes have been done in the auction process, the most important being the minimum rate for lease being kept at Rs 15,000 per acre. Last year, in many villages prices were as low as Rs 7,000 per acre.
Narbhinder Singh, district development and panchayat officer (DDPO), Sangrur while talking with The Indian Express said,”If a land was awarded for annual lease between 15,000-20,000 per acre, then there will be a total of 15 per cent rise in basic price of that land and only after that bidding process will start. Similarly, if previous year’s lease prices were between 20,000- 30,000 per acre for a particular panchayati land, its basic prices will increase by 7.5 per cent this year before starting the bidding process and if the prices of any land had gone beyond Rs 30,000 a acre, the basic raise in the prices will be 5 per cent of the last year’s bid. before starting this year’s bidding process.” In addition to this, this year, e-auction was proposed for giving land on lease, but it was postponed for another year with a reason of lack of proper arrangements for e-auction.
However, Dalit unions are not very okay with the changes. Tarsem Peter, president of Punjab Pendu Khet Mazdoor Union, said,”This year, bidding process will happen in the dharmshalas of general category people, while last year, they had done it in the dharamshalas of Dalits. So, we apprehend that dummy candidates will be fielded by landlords like it was done in SAD-BJP rule and hence the actual Dalits will not be getting land to cultivate.”
Members of ZPSC had a meeting Thursday morning at Sangrur to discuss all issues related to land to be given on lease for farming purposes.
Tarsem added,”In addition to this, Punjab government soon after coming to power had issued a notification that Dalits will be given land on annual lease at price half of the general category, however, it was taken back soon after and hence we feel that Congress is also doing the same as Akalis did.”
However, DDPO Nabhinder Singh said,”We will be personally going in the auctions and hence nothing untoward will happen. Our teams will be there to get the auctions conducted in a cordial manner.”
In 2016 and 2015, clashes had taken place between Dalits and landlords in Sangrur over allegations of fielding dummy candidates.