Madhya Pradesh: State To Reclaim Unused Land From Central Agencies, Says Minister

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Urban development and housing minister Kailash Vijayvargiya informed the state assembly on Thursday that the state government will take back land allotted to Central government organisations which is lying unused.

Former chief minister Kamal Nath raised the issue during the question hour, highlighting land given to central agencies, specifically pointing to that of Western Coalfields Limited (WCL).

Vijayvargiya responded that some land given to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has already been reclaimed and further planning is underway to identify more such properties.

‘Cost of urban works keeps shifting’

MLA Arif Masood raised concerns over the rising cost of urban infrastructure projects in Bhopal, including the ongoing metro construction. He criticised disruptions caused by constant digging across the city, saying commuters are facing serious inconvenience.

In response, Vijayvargiya said that cost variations are common in urban projects. He cited a bridge in Indore, which was initially estimated at Rs 18 crore but rose to Rs 24 crore after additional provisions—like underground water and electricity lines—were added.

Speaking about the metro project, the minister said the first phase, from AIIMS to Subhash Nagar, began in November 2018 and is expected to be completed by November this year. The second phase, from Subhash Nagar to Karond, started in March 2024 and is targeted for completion by June 2028.

Advocate Dies While Attempting To Scare Wife During Argument In Bhopal

Public safety

MLA Atif Aqueel raised the issue of a girl’s death due to electrocution in Bhopal, along with four other recent fatalities linked to open transformers and exposed distribution panels (DPs).He demanded strict action against officials who, he alleged, were giving misleading responses to serious questions.

Energy minister Pradumn Singh Tomar acknowledged that there are around 1,400 transformers in Bhopal, and protective gates have been installed on 1,051 of them. He also said that an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh was provided to deceased girl’s family.

Financial lapses

BJP MLA Brij Bihari Pateria alleged that no action has been taken against the president of Deori Nagar Palika Parishad in Sagar district, despite a High Court ruling confirming financial irregularities.

Pateria, pressing his demand in the assembly, even quoted a chaupai from the Ram Charit Manas.Minister Vijayvargiya said the MLA had filed a complaint and the subsequent investigation did reveal irregularities involving president, CMO and accountant.