Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The dream project of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan of a modern convention centre in the city is under a cloud even though the CM had announced it during the conclusion of the NRI & Global Investors Summit in January 2023.
The convention centre with a seating capacity of 10,000 people to come up in Scheme Number 172 on the Indore-Depalpur Road on the Super Corridor has been caught in a dispute between the Forest Department and the Indore Development Authority (IDA) that has been tasked with giving shape to the ambitious project even as the IDA floated a tender for the centre in March.
The Forest Department has claimed that the land where the convention centre is planned belongs to them and no decision has been taken over the issue. Divisional forest officer Mahendra Singh Solanki said, “We have sent a reminder letter to the concerned departments but are still waiting for the response.”
Former divisional forest officer Narendra Pandwa said, “The land where the convention centre is proposed by the IDA is owned by the Forest Department and we have plans of our own for that land.”
The DFO said that the Department plans to make a Nagar Van on the land to increase greenery in the area. He said the Forest Department had been taking care of this land for years, and now all of a sudden the IDA is claiming that it owns the land, and has planned a convention centre on it.
BOTH IDA AND FOREST DEPARTMENT WANT THE LAND
Both IDA and the Forest Department are claiming the land and now the ball is in the state government’s court to decide who is the rightful owner. IDA CEO Ahirwar said, “We will plan our project once the land issue is settled.” “Higher authorities at the government level will decide,” said Forest Department officials.
