# MP CM tells officials to hear Ken-Betwa project affected families 2026-08-23T01:17:15+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed officials to visit villages in Panna and Chhatarpur districts and hear grievances of families impacted by the Ken-Betwa river link project. The directions came after a review meeting in Khajuraho on August 21, days after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met protesters demanding better compensation and rehabilitation for the Rs 44,000 crore project. Yadav instructed district administrations to ensure officials visit every household in affected villages, especially tribal families, and resolve difficulties on priority. He also asked for doorstep delivery of welfare scheme benefits to displaced families and preparation of action plans for essential facilities like schools and health centres at new settlement locations. The compensation for the Runjh and Majhgaon projects was increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh per family in July, matching the KBLP package. The project, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2024, aims to transfer water from the Ken to the Betwa river basin and is the first of 30 link projects under a national perspective plan. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Ken-Betwa project is India's first interlinking of rivers under a national plan, but has faced years of opposition over displacement of tribal families and impact on the Panna Tiger Reserve. The compensation hike from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh in July, after protests, shows how local resistance can force policy changes. With Rahul Gandhi now backing the affected families, the issue has gained political heft ahead of state elections. The next signal to watch is whether the district visits yield concrete rehabilitation timelines or further escalation of protests. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Reports CM's directives and protest details without taking sides, includes both government and opposition statements This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bundelkhand, Ken-Betwa Link Project, Mohan Yadav, Panna Tiger Reserve, Rahul Gandhi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/mp-cm-tells-officials-to-hear-ken-betwa-project-affected-families/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/mp-cm-tells-officials-to-hear-ken-betwa-project-affected-families/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/