A political confrontation has intensified in Chhattisgarh over the demolition drive in Nakti village, with the state government and the opposition Congress presenting conflicting accounts of the action carried out on June 29.

Defending the government's move, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap said the administration had removed encroachments only from one ward of Nakti village and not from the entire settlement, rejecting allegations that the whole village had been demolished.

According to the minister, Nakti village comprises 17 wards, and the anti-encroachment drive was confined to a single ward where government revenue land had allegedly been occupied. He added that the affected families had already been rehabilitated and provided housing in Nava Raipur.

Government Defends Action

Kashyap said the land in question continues to belong to the Revenue Department and that the process for allocating around 15.47 hectares of land for a housing project had begun during the previous Congress government in 2020.

He stated that the Chhattisgarh Housing Board had submitted a proposal to the district administration in 2020, followed by revenue surveys and administrative procedures in 2021. During this period, encroachments allegedly expanded from nearly three hectares to around 15 hectares, prompting the administration to initiate legal action.

The minister also claimed that district officials held multiple rounds of discussions with local representatives and affected families before the demolition and ensured rehabilitation by allotting houses in Nava Raipur.

Congress Rejects Government's Claims

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the BJP government of misleading the public over the Nakti demolition.

He alleged that the government was making contradictory statements and claimed that official records contradict the current stand taken by ministers.

Baghel referred to discussions held in the state Assembly, saying Revenue Minister OP Choudhary had previously acknowledged the Nakti land issue. He further claimed that the then CEO of the Nava Raipur Development Authority (NRDA), Ankit Anand, had directed the district administration regarding the removal of encroachments.

"The BJP teaches its leaders to lie while looking people in the eye," Baghel alleged while accusing the government of suppressing facts.

Questions Over Proposed Land Use

Former minister Mohammad Akbar also questioned the government's position, alleging inconsistencies regarding the future use of the land.

He claimed that while Housing Board Chairman Anurag Singh Deo recently denied any proposal for an MLA-MP residential colony, an official communication issued by the Housing and Environment Department in October 2024 had directed the district administration to free nearly 72 acres of land for the proposed project.

Akbar questioned whether such correspondence could have been issued without ministerial approval and alleged that the government was issuing conflicting statements to conceal its decisions.

Background of the Demolition

The demolition drive was carried out on June 29, during which around 80 houses were demolished in Nakti village.

The Housing Board has claimed that 77 individuals had encroached upon nearly 15 hectares of government land. While the administration says affected families have been allotted EWS houses in Nava Raipur, several displaced residents have alleged that not every family has received alternative accommodation.

The issue continues to trigger political debate, with the Congress staging protests and demanding greater transparency over the demolition and future use of the land.