= Orders will be issued this week
= No more land acquisition, even with compensation
By Kanhaiya Lodhi
Bhopal, The Madhya Pradesh government has yielded to intense farmer pressure and decided to completely repeal the controversial Ujjain Land Pooling Act. In a significant policy reversal, the state will now abandon all land acquisition, even with compensation, for development projects under the scrapped law. Orders confirming the full cancellation are expected to be issued this week.
= End of acquisition and farmer fear
The contentious Act, strongly opposed by farmers for eight months, was intended for the development of Ujjain, particularly ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Previously, the government planned to acquire land, develop it, and return half the developed parcel, claiming it would boost land value. A partial amendment issued on November 19, which merely allowed the government to acquire land by offering compensation under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, was rejected by farmers, who feared it still left their land vulnerable. The complete repeal now removes that threat entirely.
= Central intervention secured pepeal
The final decision followed high-level political intervention. The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) escalated the matter to the central leadership. It is understood that Union Home Minister Amit Shah requested a detailed briefing on the situation. This led to a meeting on November 17, where Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, BKS representatives, and local leaders agreed to scrap the Act. The Urban Development and Housing Department has finalized the draft to cancel all related notifications, ending the plan to develop a 2,300-hectare ‘Spiritual City’ on private land.
= Impact on Simhastha 2028
The cancellation means no permanent or pucca construction for Simhastha 2028 can proceed on private land designated under the pooling scheme. Future permanent infrastructure development will now be restricted exclusively to existing government land. The long-term plan to turn Ujjain into a major Spiritual City on acquired land may now be shelved.
