Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers from Indore and Ujjain districts took out a tractor rally from Hatod to Indore on Wednesday to protest against the Indore-Ujjain Greenfield Corridor project and the Bhavantar Yojana.
The farmers demanded cancellation of the corridor project, purchase of soybean at the support price and an increase in compensation rates for land aquisition.
The protest caused a major traffic jam from Noorani Nagar to Chandan Nagar intersection. Farmers drove their tractors to the Collectorate, but the administration stopped them midway.
In response, they raised slogans against both the government and the Congress party, expressing anger over insufficient compensation and lack of consultation.
According to officials, the Greenfield Corridor will affect 28 villages - 20 in Indore’s Sanwer and Hatod tehsils and 8 in Ujjain district which covers 188 hectares of fertile agricultural land.
Many farmers said their entire farmland falls under the project, while for some, the road will cut through their fields which made farming impossible.
Farmer leader Bablu Jadhav alleged that the project was implemented without proper survey which posed a threat to farmers’ livelihoods. He said the road is being developed with the 2028 Simhastha festival in mind, though existing routes to Ujjain could easily be widened.
Another farmer said that the compensation offered was far below market value. The protest concluded after farmers submitted a memorandum to ADM Roshan Roy, highlighting their key demands.
