PATNA, April 28 -- Farmers in the state's newly-notified greenfield zones have begun protesting a fresh government freeze on land sales, transfers, construction and development - barely days after the state cabinet cleared plans for 11 satellite townships. The clampdown, meant to stop speculative deals and chaotic growth before detailed master plans are ready, has left many landowners feeling trapped. In Punpun and surrounding villages, dozens of farmers held a noisy demonstration on Sunday, calling the restrictions unfair and impractical. "The government has tied our hands," one protester said. "How are we supposed to manage our finances until March or June next year when the final plans are ready? We need money for daughters' marriages, medical emergencies - basic things." Principal secretary of the urban development and housing department (UDHD), Vinay Kumar, said that the protests stem mainly from lack of proper information. Once the master plans - being drawn up with town-planning experts and World Bank support - are finalised, land values in these zones are expected to shoot up to five to ten times their current market rates. "It will be a win-win for landowners and the public at large," Kumar told reporters. For years, the state has been paying the price of rapid, haphazard urbanisation. Patna and other major cities have seen their populations balloon because of rural migration, putting unbearable pressure on housing, roads, water supply, drainage and everyday civic services. Slums have spread, traffic has turned chaotic and basic infrastructure is stretched to breaking point. The idea of building satellite townships around Patna - modelled on Noida and Gurugram - has been close to CM Samrat Choudhary's heart since he first handled the urban development portfolio back in 2014. Though his earlier tenures were short, he revived the proposal when he returned to the department in 2024 and instructed officials to prepare a concrete roadmap. In a major shift from the usual land acquisition model, the state government wants to make farmers and landowners active partners. Under the proposed land-pooling system, they will get back up to 55 per cent of their land after development - far more than the 20-45% returned to farmers in similar projects elsewhere in the country. "Instead of acquiring land outright, we are going for pooling so that no one becomes landless," a senior UDHD officer said. Only in rare complicated cases will the department acquire land, and even then owners will receive market price plus transfer of development rights, ensuring handsome returns. Kumar stressed that the entire strategy is designed to give landowners at least five times the value of their original holdings once the townships take shape. The principal secretary said district magistrates will chair committees that will oversee every stage - from land pooling and planning to actual execution. To maintain complete transparency, detailed plans along with khata and khesra numbers will be published in newspapers and other media well in advance. Any disputes can be taken to specially set-up local tribunals for quick resolution. Kumar declined to reveal the estimated cost of developing the townships or how the cash-strapped state government plans to fund the massive infrastructure work. "It is premature to talk about costs," he said. "These will be worked out only after the master plans are finalised." The cabinet has identified 11 locations, each with a compact high-density "core area" for residential and commercial use and a much larger "special area" for supporting infrastructure, green belts and utilities. Officials are hopeful that once the initial fears subside and the long-term benefits become clear, these satellite townships will be seen as a bold and inclusive step - one that finally gives Bihar's farmers a real stake in the state's urban future....