Land Pooling Act withdrawn in the Simhastha area:Government backs down after protests by MLAs and farmers’ union across the region over land acquisition

The government has finally withdrawn the Land Pooling Act, which was introduced for the permanent acquisition of land in the Ujjain Simhastha area. After continuous opposition from MLAs and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the Urban Development and Housing Department issued an official order in this regard. In fact, on 17 November, a meeting was held at the CM House in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav with office bearers of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal was also present at the meeting. After the meeting, the Kisan Sangh leaders had claimed that the Land Pooling Act would be withdrawn. However, at that time, no official statement was issued by the Chief Minister. Two days later, on 19 November, the government issued an amendment order. It said that permanent land acquisition would no longer be done for building construction, and land would be taken only for basic development works such as roads and drains. Even this amendment was opposed by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and the Congress, who remained firm on their demand to withdraw the entire Act. The matter became more serious on 15 December, when BJP MLA from Ujjain North, Anil Jain Kalukheda, wrote a letter to the Chief Minister demanding the complete withdrawal of the Land Pooling Act. The MLA had warned that if the Act was not withdrawn, he would join the farmers’ protest. Just a day after the MLA’s letter, on 16 December, the government issued an order to completely withdraw the Land Pooling Act. In this way, 29 days after the meeting between the Chief Minister and farmer organisations, the government took this decision and ended the Land Pooling Act in the Simhastha area. What is the Land Pooling Act and the root of the controversy Under the Land Pooling Act, the government takes land from farmers for development projects and then develops the area, returning a part of it to the owners in the form of plots or developed land. The government claims that this gives farmers better value for their land and allows planned urban development. However, in Ujjain, farmers objected to the Act, saying the process of giving land did not appear to be voluntary and there was no clarity on when and how much developed land would be returned. Land prices in areas linked to Simhastha and the Mahakal Lok are very high, and farmers feared losses. In some villages, reports emerged of surveys and notices being issued without adequate consent. Due to these reasons, protests, memorandums and pressure on public representatives increased against the Land Pooling Act in Ujjain. BJP MLA from Ujjain North, Anil Jain Kalukheda, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on 15 December, drawing attention to the dispute. In his letter, he clearly stated that there was dissatisfaction among common citizens and farmers in Ujjain over the Land Pooling Act. He urged the Chief Minister that land pooling should not be forcibly implemented in Ujjain. The MLA said that the consent and trust of farmers and landowners should be the primary condition. A separate and sensitive approach should be adopted for land policy in Simhastha 2028 and religiously important areas. He also stressed that before implementing any scheme, there should be wide-ranging dialogue with local public representatives and affected people.