Over three decades after more than 5,000 acres land was acquired to construct 122-kilometer-long Satluj-Yamuna link (SYl) canal, the Punjab Government on Tuesday decided to de-notify the same with immediate effect — skirting the Governor’s assent to return the land.
Punjab Cabinet, which met on Tuesday afternoon, decided that the land acquired for the SYl canal project, presently vested in the Punjab Government, “stands de-notified” with immediate effect and will be returned to the original owners “free of cost”.
“The Punjab Council of Ministers today decided in public interest that the land acquired for SYl canal project which is presently vested in the Punjab Government, free from all encumbrances, stands de-notified with immediate effect and shall forthwith vest in the original land owners of their lineal descendants or legal representatives, free of cost,” stated the official statement.
Punjab Chief Minister’s Adviser on National Affairs and Media Harcharan Bains said that the decision comes into immediately effect and necessary orders are being passed.
The move came as the Punjab Government’s Bill, passed by the Vidhan Sabha during the Budget Session in March, to return the land acquired to construct SYl to the farmers is still awaiting the Governor’s approval.
The land acquisition for the SYl canal began in 1980 and continued for some years. More than 5,000 acres of land was acquired.
The Punjab Sutlej Yamuna link Canal land (Transfer of Proprietary Rights) Bill-2016 was unanimously passed by the state legislative assembly to transfer the entire 5,376-acre land free of cost to the owners that was acquired for the SYl canal over three decades ago for Rs 35 crore.
Even the Opposition Congress had hailed the Bill that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal moved in the assembly as a “very big decision”, and it “fully supported” the Akali Dal-BJP Government’s move.
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