Environmentalists and Students Stage Dharna to Save College Land in Indore

Around 350 people that also includes two Padma award-winning environmentalists staged a dharna on January 5, 2017, in Indore to protect a piece of land of the Agriculture College which has been earmarked for the construction of district court's new building. Students, environmentalists and farmers took part in the dharna.

Govindan Kutty Menon, an environmentalist as well as Padma awardee indicated that the decision would impact the agriculture research activities which have been taking place for many years. He demanded the state government to withdraw the proposal of constructing a court building on the land which belongs to Agriculture College.

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He further added that the government shall encourage the opening of an organic agriculture research centre in the memory of former Chief Minister Sundarlal Patwa. Bhalu Monde, a photographer and environmentalist by profession, stated that the government could find an open place in the other parts of the city and it is not justified to take over the college land for the construction of court.

The state government decided to construct the new building of district court as the present court located at MG Road lacks facilities and has inadequate space. Therefore, the government allocated 20 acres of land inside the college campus. The students, farmers and environmentalists staged a protest to protect their land.

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It is time for the state government to address the issue. One of the students revealed that there is a lot of open place in the city and the government can construct the court over there instead of taking away the college's share of land.