The Madhya Pradesh government has completely revoked its land pooling scheme aimed at acquiring 2,378 hectares of agricultural land in Ujjain to build permanent infrastructure for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, amid calls for fresh protests by farmer organisations.
As per an order issued by the Urban Development and Housing Department on Tuesday, the Nagar Vikas (Town Development) Scheme of the Ujjain Development Authority has been completely cancelled. The scheme was to impact about 5,000 to 8,000 farmer families in 17 villages in Ujjain and adjoining areas.
The move comes days after the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed outfit, announced a fresh agitation titled ’dera dalo, ghera dalo’ (pitch camp, set siege) in Ujjain on December 26, alleging that the State’s Bharatiya Janata Party government has “betrayed farmers”. BJP MLA from Ujjain North Anil Jain Kaluhera had also recently written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav seeking cancellation of the land pooling scheme, saying that he would be “forced” to join the farmers’ agitation.
“The State government had modified, i.e., amended, the proposed town development schemes numbers 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Ujjain Development Authority under the provisions of Section 52(1)(b) of the Madhya Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1973, on November 17. The said order is hereby completely cancelled,” the Urban Development and Housing Department order read.
“Therefore, the Government of Madhya Pradesh, in the public interest, under Section 52(1)(c) of the Madhya Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1973, hereby revokes and completely cancels the proposed town development schemes numbers 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Ujjain Development Authority,” it added.
The November 17 order had come days after Mr. Yadav held a high-level meeting with officials, public representatives and leaders of the BKS and other farmers’ bodies, and promised that the scheme would be cancelled. The order amended the scheme, stating that it would remain applicable only for land parcels marked for purposes such as roads, water supply, drainage and sewage, while exempting other infrastructure.
However, the BKS termed the order was “twisting the wordings of the scheme and created confusion” among farmers, and accused the government of misleading them. The outfit demanded a complete rollback of the scheme.
The land pooling scheme was introduced in 2024 with the aim of building a permanent Kumbh city with an investment of ₹2,000 crore and creating permanent infrastructure, including roads, ashrams for saints and akhadas, electricity infrastructure, underground drainage systems, hospitals and government facilities.
Until now, the government had built temporary infrastructure for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 12 years in Ujjain, and farmers’ land used to be acquired for a period of about six months with compensation provided.
The scheme was seen as an ambitious attempt by Mr. Yadav, who is the MLA from Ujjain South, to transform Ujjain into a major pilgrim city.
The plan, however, met with resistance from local residents and farmer bodies, which have held multiple protests in Ujjain and nearby areas over the past year. The BKS had also led a major tractor rally in Ujjain in September in protest against the scheme.
The government expects more than 12 crore devotees to visit Ujjain during the month-long Simhastha scheduled in 2028. In the previous edition of the Mela in 2016, the footfall was over seven crore, according to reports at the time.
