Mohali, June 12 -- Former Punjab health minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu on Wednesday termed the Punjab government's new land pooling policy a "betrayal" of Punjab's farmers and a "gift to corporates". Addressing a press conference here, Sidhu said, "The policy drastically reduces landowners' returns, disproportionately impacting small and marginal farmers, especially those with only 1-3 kanal. Under the previous GMADA policy, a farmer received a 200-sqare-yard residential plot or a 125-sqare-yard residential and 25-sqare-yard commercial plot per kanal. The new policy offers only 150 sqare yards, resulting in an estimated Rs.30 lakh loss per kanal at current rates." He said while farmers were offered only a 33% return on pooled land, large developers stand to gain up to 60%. Sidhu labelled the 50-acre clause as a "corporate loophole," arguing that no ordinary farmer owns such large tracts in expansion zones. "This policy has been framed in favour of builders who already hold land," he said. htc...