Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Administration has once again started preparing to free Simhastha Fair area of encroachment. A notice issued to more than 200 house owners of Gulmohar Colony and Ram Nagar on Agar Road and Gyarsi Colony in Gadkalika area had sparked an agitation.
Irked residents ghearoed the administrative building complex on Monday and raised slogans. They also vented ire over administration’s action at a meeting in the complex.
On Sunday, Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) team had made a public announcement in Gulmohar and Gyarsi colonies on Sunday asking residents to vacate houses. The three colonies have more than three colonies and people had bought plots due to cheap rates.
Most of the people living here are financially weak. On Sunday evening, following UMC announcement, Salim Bhai Patangwale, a resident of Gulmohar Colony, had died shortly after. The incident fuelled anger of the residents.
Angered by the administrative action, residents of Gulmohar and Gyarsi Colony ghearoed the administrative complex and staged a dharna outside the complex. During a meeting at the dharna site people claimed that the land on which their houses were built was not owned by the government. It was owned by small cultivators. These people had sold their land as small plots after failing to recover their investment through farming. Those who purchased the land too are poor. Now, the administration wants to remove them.
City Congress Committee president Ravi Bhadauria, District Congress Committee president Kamal Patel, MLA Mahesh Parmar, Congress leader Vivek Yadav, Leader of Opposition in UMC Ravi Rai, several party corporators and office-bearers also joined the dharna along with the residents. During this, slogans were also raised. Force from at least half-a-dozen police stations was deployed at the spot to deal with any eventuality.
Congress leaders argue with woman SDM | FP Photo
CONG MLA FALLS AT WOMAN SDM’S FEET
Congress MLA from Tarana Mahesh Parmar who came to threaten the collector into providing relief to residents of Gulmohar Colony, Gyarsi Nagar and Ram Nagar fell at the feet of SDM Kalyani Pandey. Touching the feet of the SDM, he said, “We are Gandhian, we will either take the order not to demolish the house, otherwise we will die from it.” The UMC has given notice to 101 people of Gulmohar Colony, 40 people of Gyarsi Nagar and 42 people of Ram Nagar to vacate the land, terming it as Simhastha Fair area. As the UMC had set Monday as the deadline for vacating the area, the residents are worried.
On Monday, they had gone to administrative building complex to meet the collector. However, the collector sent SDM Dr Pandey to the spot. During the demonstration, MLA’s style won applause of protesters. ADM Santosh Tagore also reached the spot and talked to the protesters. Later, Zila Panchayat CEO Ankita Dhakre reached the dharna site and asked demonstrators and Congress functionaries to meet the collector in a delegation on Tuesday to settle the issue. She also assured that no evacuation or demolition action would be initiated before the meeting. Later, the protesters left from the spot.
