BHOPAL: After shifting of the Smart City site from Shivaji Nagar-Tulsi Nagar to North and South TT Nagar, the urban development department, which is the implementing agency for the Smart City Project, received another jolt on Friday when the home department decided to postpone the exercise of getting the government houses in the two localities vacated, till alternative accommodation is arranged for the occupants. The process of vacation will begin only after alternative arrangements are in place.
The home department has written to the urban development and public works department to put the eviction process on the hold. Leaders of the unions of government employees had recently met Ashok Varnwal, principal secretary to the chief minister and had lodged their protest over the exercise. They had demanded that they should not be evicted from their homes till alternative accommodation was made available to them.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was apprised of the issue. Sources said that revenue minister Umashakar Gupta had also requested the CM to concede the demand. Gupta represents the area in the assembly and he is against getting the houses vacated till alternative arrangements are made. The people of the area were opposing the action and had staged many demonstrations. This decision may slow down the execution of the Smart City Project.