MP News: Farmers Protest Low Compensation, MLA Stages Sit-In At Collectorate In Ratlam

Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers from eight villages in the Alot Assembly constituency reached the Ratlam Collectorate on Saturday to protest against low compensation for land acquired under the Ujjain–Jaora Greenfield Road Project. The protest was led by Alot BJP MLA Dr Chintaman Malviya.

Farmers alleged that the administration fixed compensation between Rs 2.20 lakh and Rs 2.50 lakh per bigha, far below the prevailing market rates of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore per bigha. Malviya said land prices are significantly higher due to the area’s proximity to the Delhi–Mumbai Corridor and an upcoming 8-lane highway.

On arrival, the delegation was informed that Collector Misha Singh was in a meeting, forcing them to wait. In protest, Malviya sat on the Collectorate steps along with the farmers. SDMs from Jaora and rural areas tried to persuade him to move inside, but he refused. He warned that continued neglect of farmers’ concerns could turn support into strong opposition.

After around 15 minutes, the Collector came out and heard the grievances. A 10-minute meeting was later held in her chamber, where she assured that a cluster of the eight villages would be formed to assess and determine the maximum possible compensation.

Malviya demanded that higher land rates from nearby villages be considered where recent registrations are unavailable, guidelines for land valuation be revised, and compensation reflect projected land value over the next ten years. He also urged that compensation models followed in Ujjain and Indore be implemented in Ratlam.

Notably, this is the second such incident within a fortnight. Earlier, district panchayat president Lala Bai had also staged a sit-in after being made to wait to meet the Collector.