Punjab Legislative Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has made an appeal to the farming community to voluntarily clear encroachments from rural passages and field pathways before the upcoming paddy transplantation season begins.​Emphasising that accessible, wide paths are crucial for agricultural efficiency, Sandhwan said clearing these routes would not only accelerate rural development but also foster community harmony by eliminating long-standing land disputes.​The Speaker said that over the years, narrowing pathways due to unscientific farming extensions have become a major logistical bottleneck in rural Punjab.​”When village connectivity roads and field paths are open and unblocked, it directly impacts the speed of rural growth,” Speaker Sandhwan said.”During the harvesting and sowing seasons, heavy machinery like combines, tractors, and trolleys needs seamless movement. Blocked paths lead to unnecessary delays, accidental damage, and bitter arguments among neighbors.”Farmers are being urged to mutually resolve boundaries and clear encroached edges before the waterlogging and mud of paddy sowing lock the land structure for the season, he said.​A significant portion of rural police complaints and civil court cases in Punjab stem from boundary disputes and blocked public paths. Voluntary clearance is expected to drastically reduce these conflicts, Sandhwan hoped.Open paths will allow the administration to better plan link-road expansions and install proper rural drainage systems.​Sandhwan called upon village panchayats and senior community members to lead the initiative. He suggested that village committees should sit together, measure the revenue pathways as per official records, and ensure that public passages are restored to their original width without requiring strict administrative or legal force.​With the paddy transplantation window fast approaching, the Speaker urged farmers to show large-heartedness, stating that “true development begins when public convenience is prioritized over individual greed.”