Three months after Punjab rolled out its ambitious Farm Stay Policy to create an additional source of income for farmers and promote rural tourism, the initiative has received a modest response, with only 35 applications filed so far, of which 21 have been approved.
The tepid response, particularly in a predominantly agrarian state, highlights the challenge of translating the government’s policy push into participation on the ground. “It is a slow start as awareness about the policy is still limited. During a hearing before the NGT in July, the Punjab government agreed to exclude forest areas and lands covered under, or delisted from, the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, from the ambit of the policy.
A senior officer of the tourism department said the policy had witnessed a slow start due to limited awareness.
The department will soon launch an awareness campaign to promote the scheme and encourage more farmers to participate,” the officer said, requesting anonymity. Kapil Dev, president of the council of engineers, who challenged the policy before the green panel, said the government’s assurance had substantially altered the policy’s scope. “The government’s assurance that lands protected under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, as well as delisted PLPA and forest lands, will remain outside the Farm Stay Policy has stripped the policy of much of its commercial thrust and raises a fundamental question: who is it really meant to benefit?” he said.
The policy has also faced a significant legal challenge before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), prompting the Punjab government to narrow its scope and exclude ecologically sensitive areas.
