Loss of Ownership of Land and Social Displacement: A Case Study from Eco-city, New Chandigarh

Rapid urbanization and industrialization has necessitated the need for sustainable eco-development. In response to this urgent demand, India is promoting the concept of eco-cities. One of the most recent ventures towards that objective is ‘New Chandigarh’ developed by GMADA1 in Punjab in the vicinity of Chandigarh. This article attempts to explore gaps in the perception of the local residents of Mullanpur-Garibdass regarding the eco-city development project for which they had to surrender their agricultural land and their traditional village networks and development planner’s perspective of alternative urban spaces. This article is based on observations, case studies and in-depth interviews of 50 local residents of Mullanpur-Garibdass village in Punjab, who had to forgo ownership of their land in both Mullanpur and Devi Nagar. Empirical data suggest that the local residents of these sites did not fully comprehend the consequences of these displacements. They are now regretting the loss of ownership of land and breakdown of village networks that provides social support in the traditional rural social systems.