RAIPUR: On Monday, authorities demolished 77 ‘illegal’ houses situated on government land near Raipur airport in Chhattisgarh, leading to protests from residents, including women who tried to block bulldozers. They argued that many of the structures were built under the PMAY scheme.
The demolition was carried out by the revenue department, police, and Raipur Municipal Corporation in Sammanpur (Nakti) village within the Dharsinwa development block, a government official reported.
The government land, approximately nine hectares, had allegedly been occupied illegally for an extended period, and the demolition was part of an anti-encroachment effort, according to an official statement.
Hundreds of police were deployed during the early morning operation. Residents, including women, tried to obstruct the bulldozers, leading to confrontations with law enforcement. Some protesters reportedly threw stones at the police.
Several women with children were seen crying as their houses were destroyed.
The administration asserted that all occupants had received notices in adherence to legal procedures, including final notices prior to the demolition.
Residents contended that the land, designated as “Shamilat Charagah” (common grazing land), was owned by their ancestors. They claimed that around 30 of the demolished houses were constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and two under the previous Indira Awas Yojana. “My family has lived here for eight generations. Our ancestors’ names are in the land records. The government erroneously treats this land as its own,” villager Vishnu Prasad told PTI Videos.
He noted that local BJP leaders had assured villagers no houses would be demolished, and he added, “The government promised rehabilitation arrangements, but we have received no information. Our belongings are now stored in fields and other places.”
Revati Pal, another resident, claimed that her PMAY house was demolished less than six months after she received it, stating, “I received only ₹1 lakh against the approved ₹1.20 lakh but borrowed an additional ₹2-2.5 lakh to finish the house. We have nowhere to live now.”
Some villagers suggested that the land was cleared for a proposed legislators’ colony, a claim the administration has not confirmed.
The administration has promised rehabilitation for the affected families, providing housing in Sector-30 of Nava Raipur, along with food, drinking water, medical facilities, ambulances, and doctors, as per the release.
Vehicles were arranged to transport the belongings of those affected, while revenue employees were present to protect their possessions, and buses were organized to transfer residents to the rehabilitation site.
Dharsinwa BJP MLA Anuj Sharma emphasized that no deserving families were treated unfairly and that all displaced residents were being rehabilitated. “Those removed from encroached land are being provided housing in Sector-30 of Nava Raipur,” he stated.
“We will investigate how beneficiaries received houses on encroached land. Misinformation should not be spread,” Sharma added.
Villagers have protested since last April after an eviction order was issued by the tehsildar’s court. The eviction notices specified that the land in Khasra No.460, covering 15.4790 hectares (around 38 acres) in Nakti village, was encroached upon by residents.
Villagers previously asserted that the 38 acres on Khasra No. 460 belonged to their ancestors and were classified as ‘shamilat charagah’ in land records.
The list of land owners still includes their ancestors’ names. “Since 1940, our forefathers have been recognized as owners,” they stated.
Khasra is a unique identifier for specific land plots in rural and semi-urban regions. Villagers maintained that the land originally designated for common grazing was redistributed to local residents based on need. “Buddhists of the land later built homes here, including descendants of the original owners,” they remarked.
In recent decades, around 85 families have relocated to this land. “Of the homes, about 30 were funded under the PM housing scheme,” they noted.
They mentioned that the government had laid power cables and established tap water connections in the area as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission by constructing two overhead tanks in the village. After investing substantial resources into local amenities, the government now claims the residents are encroachers.
