Madhya Pradesh cancels Ujjain land pooling scheme amid farmers' protests

The Hindu
The Hindu
42m ago
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Madhya Pradesh revoked the Ujjain land pooling scheme amid farmers' protests, canceling plans for permanent Simhastha Kumbh infrastructure.
Madhya Pradesh cancels Ujjain land pooling scheme amid farmers' protests
A What happened
Madhya Pradesh's Urban Development and Housing Department issued a cancellation of the Ujjain Development Authority's town development schemes involving land acquisition from 17 villages impacting 5,000 to 8,000 farmer families. The scheme intended to build infrastructure like roads, hospitals, and utilities for the Kumbh Mela, an event attracting millions of devotees. Opposition from the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and other farmer organizations, along with political pressure, led to protests and criticism of the government, causing the scheme's full revocation in the public interest. This marks a significant policy reversal affecting urban planning and local agriculture ahead of the 2028 Kumbh Mela.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Farmer opposition shapes infrastructure policy: Strong local farmer resistance can compel governments to revoke development plans, especially when plans affect large agricultural land and communities.

  • 2

    Urban development tension with agricultural livelihoods: Efforts to build permanent urban infrastructure for large religious events risk conflict with rural landowners, revealing challenges in balancing development with land rights.

Takeaways

Madhya Pradesh's revocation of the Ujjain land pooling scheme underscores the limits of top-down infrastructure projects when faced with strong local resistance, highlighting the need for more inclusive planning approaches.

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