Raipur
Raipur Lok Sabha MP and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brijmohan Agrawal has urged Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to immediately halt the proposed construction of an MLA Colony by the Chhattisgarh Housing Board. The project is planned for Khasra Number 460, an area spanning 15.4790 hectares in Nakti village, Dharsiwa block, Raipur district. Agrawal stressed that development is essential but not at the cost of displacing people. He demanded that the colony should be built on vacant land, not by demolishing the homes of the poor.
In his letter to the Chief Minister, Agrawal stated that over 80 impoverished families have resided on this land for many years, building their homes. Several government buildings and community halls are also situated on this plot. Houses for these families have been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha have also called for a stop to this project. This land was previously designated as grazing land by their ancestors and is considered common village land, where villagers currently reside under the Gram Panchayat’s arrangement.
Former MLA Devjibhai Patel met Agrawal to share the villagers’ plight and submitted a memorandum regarding this sensitive issue. Patel highlighted that the land is crucial for the villagers’ livelihood and dignity, and most residents live below the poverty line.
Agrawal has called upon the state administration to protect the residential rights of the villagers. He suggested that the MLA Colony be constructed only on parts of the land where no villagers reside, or that an alternative location be found.
He clearly stated that while development is necessary, it should not lead to people becoming homeless. He requested the Chief Minister to instruct the administration to maintain the status quo and immediately stop further action on the project.
