GMADA Land Pooling Policy Gets a Major Update. Here's What Changed. ## GMADA भूमि पूलिंग नीति में बड़ा बदलाव। जानिए क्या बदला। ## GMADA Land Pooling Policy Gets a Major Update. Here's What Changed. GMADA Land Pooling Policy ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਵੱਡਾ ਅਪਡੇਟ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਇੱਥੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕੀ ਬਦਲਿਆ ਹੈ।

Punjab Rewrote the Land Pooling Rules. Here Is What Changed.

Punjab notified a significantly enhanced land pooling policy for the Greater Mohali area on July 6, offering bigger plots, a free conveyance deed, doubled Sahuliyat Certificate validity, and oustee plot benefits to all farmers regardless of whether they took cash or plots. The notification amends the Land Pooling Policy-2020 and simultaneously amends the Oustee Policy-2013. It applies across the entire GMADA jurisdiction with immediate effect.

This is the third formal revision within 12 months, each one more generous than the last.

What the New Plot Entitlements Look Like

The revised policy increases plot entitlements across all land use categories:

- Residential + SCO: 1,000 sqyd residential per acre (unchanged) + commercial SCO raised from 200 to 210 sqyd per acre
- Residential only: Raised from 1,600 to 1,630 sqyd per acre
- Commercial land category: Raised from 800 to 840 sqyd per acre

Special LOIs for Fractional Holdings

This is new. Farmers with landholdings not in exact integer multiples of one acre previously lost out on plot entitlements for the fractional portion. The revised policy introduces Special LOIs — tradable instruments issued proportionately for fractional holdings. When enough Special LOIs accumulate to match a particular plot size, they convert into a full LOI for that plot.

Special LOIs apply to Aerotropolis Pockets A, B, C and D, Eco City-3, and the Low/High Density township. Landowners can also surrender remaining Special LOIs for cash at the original scheme rate three years after launch.

The Oustee Policy Extension

Previously, oustee plot benefits were only available to farmers who participated in land pooling. The amended Oustee Policy-2013 now extends these to all farmers — whether they took cash or pooling — regardless of why the land was acquired.

The oustee entitlement scale:

- 1 acre acquired: 200 sqyd residential plot at scheme price
- Above 1 acre up to 2.5 acres: 300 sqyd
- Above 2.5 acres: 500 sqyd

Other Key Changes

- Sahuliyat Certificate validity doubled from 2 to 4 years
- Priority tubewell connection window also extended to 4 years; PSPCL directed to install on priority upon application
- Stamp duty: Two options — no stamp duty on the original landowner at conveyance deed registration, or exemption on land purchase anywhere in Punjab calculated on collector rate of acquired land
- Preferential location plots previously retained by GMADA now included in draw of lots for all farmers, including in Aerotropolis Pockets A-D

What This Means for the Aerotropolis

The June 23 Reference Court mechanism unlocked the compensation pathway. The July 6 gazette defines what farmers now receive in return. Together, these two moves are the most significant administrative shift in the Aerotropolis programme since acquisition began.

The PLPs provision is the one that will matter most to farmers on the ground. GMADA retaining the best-located plots while distributing lower-value ones has been a grievance for years. That changes now.

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Sources
- The Tribune — Bigger plots for Mohali farmers under revised land pooling policy, July 9, 2026
- Punjab Government Gazette — Land Pooling Policy Amendment Notification, July 6, 2026
- Mohali Aerotropolis — Punjab Breaks the Aerotropolis Logjam, June 23, 2026