Farmers protest over new land pooling orders in MP:Say ‘Manipulation not acceptable’; union warns, ‘If peasants are misled, we’ll protest again’

After protests by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the Madhya Pradesh government had announced during talks on Monday that the Land Pooling Act would be withdrawn. The Kisan Sangh celebrated the announcement in Ujjain on Tuesday morning. However, following the gazette notification issued on Wednesday, the Sangh accused the government of reneging on its promise. The union stated that the ambiguous notification is not acceptable and warned that if farmers are misled, they will resume protests. The Sangh is preparing a strategy for further action and has given the government a two-day window to cancel the amendment and honor the commitments made during the talks. Farmers demand complete abolition On Thursday, farmers held a meeting to plan their next steps. State President of the Kisan Sangh, Kamal Singh Anjana, criticised the order issued by the Urban Development and Housing Department, saying that in written communications during the government talks, the union had clearly demanded the abolition of the Land Pooling Act in the Simhasth area. Anjana pointed that the gazette notification under the Town Development Plan (TDS-8, 9, 10, 11) should be canceled, and Simhasth should be conducted as in previous years. He also demanded that all cases filed against farmers in Ujjain be withdrawn and that no permanent construction should be allowed in the fair area. Confusion over new notification The farmers highlighted that the new order is confusing and could mislead landowners. According to Anjana, the discussions with the government had concluded that schemes 8, 9, 10, and 11 would be terminated and Section 50(1) of the Act removed. However, the gazette notification appears to allow the government to acquire land, undermining the earlier assurance. The Kisan Sangh rejected the inclusion of Sections 50 and 12(a) under the TNCP, asserting that the government’s intentions are not clear regarding full abolition of the Land Pooling Act. Compensation and infrastructure development Under the revised order, instead of returning half of the developed land, the government will now develop infrastructure in the Ujjain Urban Development Scheme area and provide compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. While temporary arrangements like unpaved roads will have compensation determined in consultation with farmers, permanent acquisitions for roads, electricity, and drainage in the Simhasth area will be carried out with double compensation. Cabinet approval after CM’s meeting with Amit Shah The amendment was issued after CM Dr. Mohan Yadav met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Following the meeting and departmental approval, ACS Sanjay Dubey of the Urban Administration Department released the order. Meanwhile, a new act is being drafted ahead of the Ujjain Simhastha to prevent encroachment. The existing ‘Central India Simhastha Fair Act 1955’ will continue to govern the fair. The new regulations will include strict monetary penalties to prevent permanent construction, with the details of fines and their application expected to be finalised soon.