The Punjab farmhouse policy Kandi Area debate intensified as the state government prepared to introduce a new policy for the eco-fragile lower Shivalik belt. The Punjab farmhouse policy Kandi Area will cover land removed from the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900. Many influential landowners in the Chandigarh periphery welcomed the move.
The government plans to place the policy before the cabinet. It allows a farmhouse on 4,000 sq yd of land, nearly one acre. Land prices already rose as buyers expected this policy to arrive. Politicians, former bureaucrats, and other VIPs own large chunks in this region.
Forest officials raised major concerns. They warned that the state must enforce Supreme Court guidelines strictly to protect forests and wildlife. The Housing and Forest Departments still disagree on several points, especially because parts of this area fall under the proposed Sukhna eco-sensitive zone.
Pressure on the government has grown as many farmhouse owners face demolition notices under current housing rules. A committee led by Housing Secretary Vikas Garg continues to draft rules to regularise structures, but the Eco-Tourism Development Committee recently rejected nearly 90 applications for violating guidelines.
The issue remains sensitive because the land, though delisted from PLPA, must support agriculture and livelihoods rather than commercial activity.
