- By Jaydeep Gurjar
- Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Naiduniya Correspondent, Ratlam | The situation became tense in the Palsodi area of the Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, on Friday when villagers clashed with the administration and police team. The government officials arrived to remove encroachments for the proposed investment zone. As the situation escalated, police had to use force and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Cops Injured In Stone Pelting
Three policemen were injured in the incident, following which cops arrested 20 protesters. The situation has been brought under control by deploying a heavy police force in the area.
According to reports, approximately 1,700 hectares of land from four to five surrounding villages, including Palsodi, is being included in the investment zone. Villagers have been protesting against this for a long time. Administrative officials, along with a heavy police force, arrived at the scene around 11 am on Friday with JCBs and bulldozers to remove the encroachments. As soon as the action began, a large number of villagers gathered and began protesting.
Officials Attempt To Convince The Villagers
At around 2 pm, officials attempted to persuade the villagers, but when no agreement was reached, the police detained more than 20 people, including Julwania Sarpanch Chhotu Maida. The encroachment removal drive was then initiated.
Meanwhile, some people pelted stones at police and administrative staff. The sudden stone pelting created chaos at the scene. To control the situation, the police used force and fired tear gas shells.
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Julwania Sarpanch Bhabhar said the villagers had come to the administration to request a halt to the action and seek seven days. He added that an application for a stay has been filed in the High Court. He denied any knowledge of the stone-pelting incident, saying it was likely perpetrated by anti-social elements. The Sarpanch alleged that after being detained, he and others were forced into two police vehicles and driven around the Ring Road and surrounding areas for approximately two hours.
What Is The Matter?
The Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) is developing a Mega Industrial Park Investment Area to accelerate industrial development in the district. Under this initiative, the investment area is being developed on approximately 1,370.532 hectares of government land in the villages of Jamthun, Bibarod, Julwania, Palsodi, Rampuria, and Sarwani Khurd. Several major companies have acquired land here and have begun the process of establishing plants.
Farmers Stage Protests
On the other hand, villagers who have been farming on government land for years are protesting. A public notice was issued from the Tehsildar's office to include 2,360 hectares of government land in Survey No. 135, Halka No. 7, Palsodi, in the investment area. The deadline for filing objections was set until June 10.
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Objection Letter Submitted
On Thursday, SDM City Archi Harit and Tehsildar Rishabh Thakur arrived in Palsodi. A letter of objection to the land acquisition by the Panchayat was submitted at a meeting held at the Gram Panchayat building. The villagers argued that the notification had been revoked due to delays in the acquisition process, and they did not give consent to the land acquisition. When officials informed them about allotment of plots and employment generation elsewhere, the villagers stated that they wanted to farm, not seek employment or plots.
Rajesh Rathore of MPIDC said the land being acquired for the investment zone is government land and necessary arrangements are being made for the affected people. The administration and police are currently monitoring the situation following the incident.
(With Naidunia Inputs)