Bhikangaon: Upset with administration’s action on illegal encroachment, many shopkeepers here at Bhikangaon village in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh vow to become terrorists and the Naxalites.
Shopkeepers claimed that they lost their source of livelihood in a drive against the encroachment and now they are unemployed and have no option but to take guns.
On Wednesday, the administration team along with local police demolished as many 37 shops worth Rs 1.69 crore constructed over 4042 square feet of government land.
Many shopkeepers including Arvind Jaiswal, Lalchand Shamar, Raju Laad, Ramlal Surage claimed that the administration demolished their shops even after they furnished legal documents of their shops.
The shopkeepers threatened that as they lost their source of livelihood, they will now become terrorists or Naxalites. They also took an oath in the middle of the village.
On the other hand, administration officials who were present during the drive claimed that notices were sent to various shopkeepers for illegal encroachment, after which the drive against encroachment was carried out.
Sub-divisional magistrate Omnarayan Singh, tehsildar Devkunar Solanki, naib-tehsildar Mamta Mimrot, sub-divisional officer (police) Praveen Kumar Uike, Bhikangaon police station in-charge Jagdish Goyal, chief municipal officer Manoj Gangrade and others were present.
SDM Singh condemned the step taken by the shopkeepers in the village. Singh said that the use of words like terrorist or Naxalite is wrong and if somebody does this then action will be taken against them according to the law. There are loud and clear instructions by the Chief Minister that encroachment over all the government land will be removed and the drive against the same is being carried out, SDM Singh added.
