The Haryana Cabinet has approved the Land Pooling Policy-2026, under which landowners will receive 50 per cent of the total saleable area as developed plots. The remaining 50 per cent will be retained by the development agency responsible for implementing the project. The Council of Ministers approved the policy at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. It replaces the 2022 policy, which linked a landowner’s entitlement to the market value of the contributed land. The new framework will apply to planned urban expansion and new residential colonies in areas including Gurugram, Faridabad and Panchkula. Under the policy, landowners will receive commercial sites as part of their entitlement in accordance with prescribed norms. The balance may comprise residential, industrial or institutional plots, depending on the project. Plot sizes have been fixed at a minimum of 100 square metres for residential use, 250 square metres for industrial use and 500 square metres for institutional use, with allotments linked to the area contributed. Landowners will receive annual interim financial assistance of Rs. 0.1 mn per acre for four years from registration of the sale deed. If the payment is delayed beyond 15 days, simple interest of 9 per cent per annum will apply. The development agency must complete infrastructure within four years of final project approval, reduced from the earlier five-year deadline; otherwise, the land will revert to its owners. Those contributing more than 2,000 square metres may qualify for commercial kiosks or booths where applicable. Contributors of less than 999 square metres will receive monetary compensation under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, or the plot’s reserve price, whichever is higher. Land Entitlement Certificate holders may pool certificates to seek larger plots, while the agency’s buyback period has been extended from one year to three years. The policy excludes pooling through the e-Bhoomi portal and sets aggregator remuneration at 0.5 per cent of the applicable collector rate for agricultural land.