MLAs should encourage farmers to demand fair compensation for land acquisition: Haryana CM

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday urged the MLAs to encourage farmers in their respective constituencies to demand fair rates for their land on the “e-Bhoomi portal” or to offer land under the land pooling or partnership policy for the establishment of Industrial Model Townships (IMTs).

The government will provide farmers with the option of Land Pooling Policy and Land Partnership Policy for this purpose, he said. The chief minister was giving a reply on the discussion on the Budget estimates in the Vidhan Sabha here.

Saini, who also holds the finance portfolio, had last week presented a Rs 2.05 lakh crore budget for 2025-26, which was passed by the state Assembly on Thursday evening.

Responding to concerns raised by the opposition regarding the establishment of IMTs, Saini said in the state Assembly that 10 Industrial Model Townships would be developed in the state and the land requirement for these would be registered on the e-Bhoomi portal at the beginning of the 2025-26 financial year.

The specific locations of these IMTs will be decided based on land availability, he said.

He emphasised that the IMTs will be set up wherever suitable land is available and stated that, unlike the previous Congress government, the BJP dispensation does not resort to “forced land acquisition but rather procures land through the Land Pooling Policy in collaboration with farmers”.

Saini assured the House that the state government is committed to developing 10 new industrial cities, thereby creating thousands of job opportunities for the youth and fulfilling its promise of economic growth.

During the course of Saini’s nearly three-and-a-half-hour reply, friendly exchanges were again witnessed between Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Minister Anil Vij.

“Mujh sey mat khel main aag hoon, main phail gaya toh tu baag bhi na payega,” Vij told Hooda.

During the proceedings on Wednesday too, Vij and Hooda indulged in a friendly banter that included the BJP veteran breaking into a song, sparking bursts of laughter in the Haryana Assembly.

Chief Minister Saini’s reply on Thursday saw him use many couplets to take on the opposition Congress.

“Jinki siyasat mein bus daavey rahe hain, aaj woh humein nasihat sunane lag rahe hain (there are only claims left in their politics now and they are preaching us),” said Saini, while pointing towards Hooda. Hooda also used many couplets to launch a counter-offensive, albeit in a lighter vein.