Activist Amit Bhatnagar has ended his 18-day hunger strike over alleged irregularities in the rehabilitation and compensation process for families affected by the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project after the Chhatarpur district administration ordered a fresh verification of project-affected families.
The exercise will review beneficiary lists in villages where residents claim eligible families were left out of rehabilitation and compensation.
While officials have described the verification as a step towards ensuring transparency, protesters say the process must genuinely address their long-standing concerns over rehabilitation, beneficiary eligibility, and fair compensation.
Fresh Verifications Ordered
The breakthrough came after discussions between district officials and Bhatnagar while he was undergoing treatment in hospital following a decline in his health. According to the district administration, fresh verification will be conducted by teams comprising officials from the revenue department, land acquisition office and other concerned departments in villages affected by the project.
The administration has also agreed to allow representatives of the Jai Kisan Organisation, which has been supporting the protest, to remain present during the verification process. Supporters believe this could improve transparency and public confidence in the exercise.
Bhatnagar publicly described the administration’s decision as a positive development but said its success would depend entirely on whether the verification was conducted honestly and fairly. He urged officials to ensure that no genuinely affected family was excluded from rehabilitation benefits.
The protest had drawn support from farmer organisations, environmental groups and local residents, many of whom argued that development should not come at the cost of overlooking the rights of displaced communities.
From Protest Site To Hospital
The hunger strike formed part of a wider movement against the implementation of rehabilitation measures linked to the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project and other irrigation projects in the region. The agitation escalated after police cleared the protest site on July 19, citing concerns over rising river levels and the deteriorating health of demonstrators. Protesters, however, alleged they were forcibly removed despite conducting a peaceful sit-in.
Even after being shifted to hospital, Bhatnagar continued his fast, prompting growing concern among supporters and medical professionals. In solidarity, several affected families observed a symbolic ‘chulha bandh’ protest by refraining from cooking meals at home.
Farmer unions, civil society groups and environmental activists also appealed to him to end his fast as his health worsened, while urging the administration to address the grievances through dialogue rather than confrontation.
The latest order for fresh verification has temporarily eased tensions, although protesters have indicated they will closely monitor the exercise before deciding their future course of action.
The Ken-Betwa River Project
The Ken-Betwa River Linking Project is India’s first river interlinking initiative under the National Perspective Plan introduced in 1980 to transfer water from surplus river basins to water-scarce regions. The ambitious project seeks to divert water from the Ken River to the Betwa River through the construction of the Daudhan Dam and a 221-kilometre canal network.
Apart from improving water availability, the project is expected to generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power. It has been projected as a major intervention for the drought-prone Bundelkhand region, which spans parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and has long struggled with recurring water shortages, erratic rainfall and agricultural distress.
According to the government, the project will provide drinking water to around 62 lakh people while expanding irrigation facilities across thousands of hectares of farmland, improving agricultural productivity and supporting regional economic development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh on December 25, 2024, describing it as a transformative initiative that would improve livelihoods and strengthen water security across Bundelkhand.
However, the project has also attracted criticism from environmentalists and affected communities over concerns related to displacement, ecological impacts and rehabilitation. While the government argues that the project has received the necessary environmental clearances and follows statutory safeguards, critics continue to seek stronger protections for displaced families and greater transparency during implementation.
Villagers are Protesting
While many residents acknowledge the potential benefits of improved irrigation and drinking water supply, affected families say development should not come at the expense of fair rehabilitation.
One of the central demands raised by protesters is a revision of the rehabilitation policy. They argue that every adult affected by displacement should be recognised as an individual beneficiary eligible for the ₹12.5 lakh rehabilitation package, rather than treating an entire family as a single unit. According to them, the existing approach leaves several adult members without adequate support to rebuild their lives after displacement.
The protesters are also demanding that the eligibility cut-off date of February 16, 2024, be extended so that more affected residents can qualify for rehabilitation benefits. They contend that many people who became eligible after that date have been unfairly excluded despite facing the same consequences of displacement.
In addition, villagers want families displaced by the Majhgaon and Runjh irrigation projects to receive rehabilitation benefits similar to those being provided under the Ken-Betwa project. They argue that all displaced communities deserve equal treatment irrespective of the specific project responsible for their displacement.
Another major grievance relates to the preparation of beneficiary lists. Protesters have alleged irregularities in surveys conducted by officials, claiming that several genuinely affected families were excluded while some ineligible names were included. They have repeatedly demanded an independent and transparent verification process to correct these alleged discrepancies.
The district administration has rejected allegations of wrongdoing, maintaining that surveys and compensation procedures have been carried out in accordance with the law. Officials have said the newly ordered verification is intended to address public concerns and ensure that genuine beneficiaries are identified correctly without compromising legal procedures.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Ken-Betwa River Linking Project represents one of India’s most ambitious attempts to address water scarcity and improve livelihoods in a drought-prone region. If implemented effectively, it has the potential to transform agriculture, improve drinking water access and support long-term regional development.
At the same time, projects of this scale inevitably reshape the lives of thousands of people, making fair rehabilitation as important as physical infrastructure itself.
The administration’s decision to conduct a fresh verification reflects the value of dialogue over confrontation. Whether this exercise succeeds will depend on its transparency, accountability and willingness to genuinely address legitimate grievances.
Sustainable development is strongest when affected communities are treated not as obstacles to progress, but as equal stakeholders whose rights, dignity and futures deserve protection alongside national development goals.
Also Read: ‘We Will Entertain’: Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Pleas on Alleged Police Excess During Student Protests
केन बेतवा लिंक परियोजना को लेकर चल रहे चिता आंदोलन के नेतृत्व कर्ता अमित भटनागर जी का आमरण अनशन स्थगित pic.twitter.com/P02cFTZ5T2
— Amit Bhatnagar (@iAmitBhatnagar) July 24, 2026
