Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers burst into celebrations after the Madhya Pradesh government withdrew the land pooling plan proposed for Simhastha 2028 on Tuesday.
The decision was announced late Monday night after a two-hour meeting between Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and officials of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.
Soon after the announcement, farmers in Ujjain celebrated with fireworks and danced to the beat of drums.
Many farmers took soil from the Simhastha land and offered it at a temple of the land goddess. They later reached the collector’s office and celebrated outside.
The government had planned permanent structures for Simhastha and wanted to use 2,378 hectares of land under the land pooling scheme.
Farmers had been protesting against this plan for the past eight months. The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and Kisan Sangharsh Samiti had announced a “gherao” protest starting Tuesday.
Many farmers were preparing to come to the collector’s office with their families, food supplies, and bedding.
Following which, the Chief Minister called a late-night meeting and declared the plan withdrawn.
Congress Raises Questions
However, the Congress party has raised serious questions over the government’s sudden move.
In a press conference held at the state Congress office in Bhopal, Ujjain city Congress president Mukesh Bhati and Tarana MLA Mahesh Parmar asked why the plan was praised in the Assembly earlier if it had to be withdrawn now.
They also asked whether the cabinet had formally approved the cancellation and if the Act has been scrapped only for Ujjain or for the entire state.
Congress further demanded clarity on what will happen to land pooling rules already in place in other districts.
