Indore-Ujjain farmers rally to oppose Green Field Corridor project:Over a thousand tractors take part, farmers demand better compensation, protection of livelihoods

Farmers held a large protest in Indore on Wednesday. They demanded the cancellation of the Indore-Ujjain Green Field Corridor. They also demanded the purchase of soybeans at the support price and an increase in compensation rates. They submitted a memorandum to the administration regarding this. Farmers from Indore and Ujjain districts brought around 1,000 tractors to Indore for the protest. More than 5,000 farmers from Hatod and surrounding villages joined the rally. They raised slogans against both the government and the Congress party. During the farmers’ protest, a nearly 2-kilometer-long traffic jam formed on Dhar Road. Commuters faced significant traffic difficulties, with long queues of vehicles visible. Farmers wanted to go to the Collectorate, but were stopped midway
Farmers were adamant about taking their tractors to the Collectorate, but the administration stopped them near Noorani Nagar on Dhar Road. During the rally, National President of the Karni Sena family, Jeevan Singh Sherpur, appealed to the farmers not to allow politicians to enter the village during the elections. After this, the farmers submitted a memorandum to ADM Roshan Roy, presenting their demands, and ended the protest. Tractor Rally from Hatod to Sirpur Talab According to farmer Bablu Jadhav, farmers have left from their respective villages for Sirpur Talab. By 2 PM, all farmers will reach the pond and from there, by approximately 3 PM, they will march on foot to the Collectorate. The rally, starting from Hatod, will pass through Gandhi Nagar, Super Corridor Chauraha and Navda Panth Marg to reach Sirpur Talab, where arrangements have been made for tractor parking. From Sirpur Talab, farmers will march on foot via Chandan Nagar, Labariya Bheru and Mhow Naka route to reach the Collectorate. 28 Villages Affected by Green Field Corridor About 20 villages in Indore’s Sanwer and Hatod tehsils and eight villages in Ujjain district are being affected by the Indore-Ujjain Green Field Corridor project. For the project, 188 hectares of fertile land is being acquired. The entire land of many farmers is coming under the project’s ambit, while the road will pass through the middle of some farmers’ land, making cultivation impossible. Allegation of implementing the scheme without survey Farmer leader Bablu Jadhav said that the government has implemented this scheme without adequate survey and assessment. This poses a threat to the livelihood of farmers. He says that this road is being built keeping in mind the Simhastha of 2028, but there are already several routes to Ujjain that can be widened to achieve this objective. Discontent over compensation and crop prices Farmers allege that the compensation fixed by the government is much lower than the market price. Virendra Chauhan, a farmer from Kankariya, said that while there is talk of giving double compensation according to the guidelines, the actual prices of land have increased by up to five times. In the rally, farmers will also raise demands such as purchasing soybeans at support price, suspending the Bhavantar Yojana, and increasing onion prices, along with protesting against the Green Field Corridor. Farmers’ interests are being ignored Farmer leaders say that farmers’ interests are being continuously ignored in policies and schemes. Jadhav said, “The government makes schemes, but does not try to understand the situation of the food provider (farmer). Our lands are being taken for this road, but we are not getting land anywhere within 10 km in compensation.”