Vijayvargiya alleges ‘non-cooperation, neglect’ for 2.5 years:Says Indore was denied its due, calls letter to CM internal matter

Madhya Pradesh senior minister Kailash Vijayvargiya’s dissatisfaction with the state government has once again come to the fore. The Urban Development and Housing Minister has directly written to Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, saying that for the past two and a half years he has faced “non-cooperation, neglect and opposition”. He warned that if issues related to Indore’s development are not resolved, he would be compelled to raise the voice of the public on a public platform. In the letter, Vijayvargiya raised concerns over delays in the master plan, objections to the naming of the Indore Metropolitan Region, land allocation for airport expansion, the proposed division of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), lack of facilities in Pithampur and the alleged neglect of Indore in Simhastha-related works. Along with the 20 June letter, he attached copies of his earlier communications seeking an Indore-centric master plan and metropolitan authority name. However, when asked about the letter by the media, Vijayvargiya said, “I do not know where you got this information from.” Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh wrote on social media platform X, “I understand your pain and anguish.” Five key issues raised by Vijayvargiya in the letter Indore is not even getting its rightful due In his letter to the Chief Minister, Vijayvargiya said that as the state’s head and also the minister in charge of Indore district, he expected cooperation, but instead he has consistently faced non-cooperation and neglect. He alleged that transfers related to his department were also carried out several times without his knowledge. He wrote that instead of accelerating Indore’s development, the city is not even receiving its rightful share. Master plan delayed, earlier letters also sent Vijayvargiya said that Indore’s master plan had been sent to the Chief Minister nearly two years ago. It has been discussed multiple times at the departmental and Chief Secretary level, but has still not been released. He said he had earlier also written on the issue, but received neither a response nor any discussion. Objection over naming of Metropolitan Region In the letter, Vijayvargiya also raised objections over the naming of the Indore Metropolitan Region. He said Indore is the state’s largest economic centre and discussions around the metropolitan region have always been Indore-centric, yet the notification named it “Ujjain–Indore Metropolitan Region”. He argued that Indore’s share in the entire region is 100 per cent, while Ujjain’s share is around 59 per cent. Allegation of Indore being ignored in RGPV division Vijayvargiya also questioned the proposal to divide RGPV into three parts. He said units have been proposed in Bhopal, Ujjain and Jabalpur, but SGSITS, established in Indore in 1952, has been ignored. He wrote that despite Indore having more than 50 engineering colleges, no unit has been proposed for the city. Displeasure regarding Pithampur The letter also raised the issue of the Pithampur industrial area. Vijayvargiya said there are more than 650 MSMEs and over 176 large industries in Pithampur, yet facilities such as a national-level testing laboratory and product certification centre have remained pending for a long time. He alleged that facilities are being developed in the relatively new Vikram Udyogpuri industrial area in Ujjain, while Pithampur continues to be neglected. Questions raised over airport expansion and Simhastha works Vijayvargiya also expressed dissatisfaction over the non-availability of land for Indore airport expansion and the exclusion of Indore from Simhastha-related works. He also mentioned in the letter that Indore city did not receive special relief during the water crisis. Political reactions intensify The matter has now escalated into a political debate after Vijayvargiya’s remarks and letter triggered responses from opposition leaders. Congress MP Vivek Tankha, reacting on X, said that if Vijayvargiya feels neglected, then similar conditions exist in Jabalpur and the Mahakoshal region. Tankha listed issues including division of the medical university, shifting of a major portion of MPEB, stalled industrial development in Maneri, lack of a defence factory ecosystem, absence of a cricket stadium, and unfulfilled plans for a defence cluster. He also pointed to weak industrial growth and inadequate air connectivity in Jabalpur over decades. With the BJP yet to issue an official response, attention now turns to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s stand on the concerns raised and the internal tensions highlighted in the letter.