In July 2025, the Kanpur–Kabrai Greenfield Highway, a 112‑km, four‑lane (expandable to six) high‑speed corridor, was approved by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to decongest Ghatampur town and divert heavy traffic away from the existing National Highway-34 (NH). As a part of the project, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acquired around 1,139 hectares from 93 villages in Kanpur, Hamirpur, and Mahoba districts, affecting roughly 5,000 farmers. In Kanpur Nagar district’s Ghatampur tehsil, agricultural land in 31 villages is to be acquired for the highway. Farmers said the compensation being offered is based on the government circle rate, which is far below actual market transactions, and that they will not be able to purchase equivalent land after dispossession.
Compensation less than the market price
Farmer leader Praveen Yadav told reporters, “We welcome the construction of the Greenfield Highway project that will ease traffic and divert heavy vehicles from Ghatampur, but we cannot give away our productive land at such low rates; this is an injustice to us.” He added that the circle‑rate‑based compensation is much lower than the ongoing market rate and would leave farmers unable to buy land of the same size.
Under the RFCTLARR, 2013, Section 23 of the Act requires the Collector to consider the objections, measurements, value of the land, and the respective interests of persons claiming compensation, while Section 26 provides the criteria for determining the market value of the land. Accordingly, compensation is to be based on the market value determined in accordance with the criteria specified under the Act, rather than solely on the circle rate.
Memorandum submitted with justifiable compensation demand
On 10 February 2026, the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Ghatampur, organised a protest at the Ghatampur tehsil and submitted a memorandum demanding justifiable, market‑linked compensation and full implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR).
After the protest, Yadav said he received a threatening phone call from an NHAI project manager, who warned him to put him in jail and take him out of politics. On 18 February 2026, a public hearing on the project’s environmental clearance was held in Ghatampur. Officials sought to discuss environmental impacts, but farmers insisted that acquisition and compensation must be settled first, highlighting the contested nature of the process. According to Jagran Media, the meeting was attended by Ajit Kumar Suman, Regional Officer of the Pollution Control Board, Pankaj Yadav, Project Manager of NHAI, ADM, SDM, Tehsildar, and other officials.
Along with this, a memorandum was submitted with several demands, including providing government jobs to the farmers' families. The District Magistrate (DM) has given assurances to the farmers. As of July 2026, land acquisition notifications have been issued, and the process is underway, but farmers say their demands for market‑linked compensation and proper rehabilitation remain unaddressed.
NHAI had sent a proposal for 3D notification to the District Magistrates of Hamirpur and Mahoba. 3D proposals are also being prepared for Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat. The project is planned under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode at a total cost of ₹7,145.14 crore.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for more compensation than promised
Demand for employment
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Grazing Land), Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land), Common
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Grazing, Non-agri rural enterprise
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
7145.14
Type of investment:
Investment Expected
Year of Estimation
2026
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Incorrect estimation of compensation
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
Sub-District Magistrate, NHAI
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
National Highway Authority of India, NHAI, District Magistrate Office, Kanpur Nagar
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Ghatampur
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
