A nearly 65-year-old dilapidated structure located opposite the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain was demolished late Wednesday night after the temple's Shayan Aarti. The municipal corporation carried out the demolition around 11 pm, completing the operation in nearly 60 minutes in compliance with a High Court order.

The building, known as Parchure Bhawan, was considered structurally unsafe. The authorities had earlier obtained a technical assessment from a team of the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, to determine the condition of the structure.

Building Found Structurally Unsafe

Ujjain Municipal Corporation Superintendent Engineer Pramod Malviya said the building was approximately 60 to 65 years old and was not built as an RCC structure. It stood on an open foundation and its structural condition had deteriorated significantly over the years.

The building was evacuated before demolition. Municipal teams then used heavy machinery, including JCB equipment, to bring down the structure.

The demolition was conducted at night after the Shayan Aarti to avoid disruption to devotees and manage the operation amid security arrangements in the busy Mahakal Temple area.

MANIT Report Flagged Risks

The MANIT technical assessment reportedly identified several structural deficiencies in the building.

These included outward tilting of load-bearing masonry walls, extensive cracks in the walls, corrosion in supporting steel girders, deterioration of the traditional roofing system, dampness at several locations and damage to the staircase.

The assessment considered the continued use of the building during periods of heavy crowd movement to be risky.

Crowd Pressure Raised Safety Concerns

According to municipal officials, the location becomes particularly crowded during religious events and the Mahakal Sawari, when large numbers of devotees gather in the area.

Officials said there was a possibility of people accessing the roof or upper floor of the old structure during such occasions. This could have placed additional load on the already weakened building and increased the risk of a structural accident.

The authorities therefore decided to remove the building as a safety measure.

G+1 Structure Demolished

The Parchure Bhawan occupied an area of approximately 1,200 to 1,500 square feet and was a G+1 structure.

The demolition operation was carried out under tight security arrangements. Officials ensured that the premises were vacated before machinery was deployed.

The entire structure was brought down in about an hour.

Linked to Mahakal Expansion

The demolition is also linked to the second phase of the Mahakal Temple expansion project.

The Mahakal Temple area has undergone extensive redevelopment in recent years, with authorities working on infrastructure and facilities to manage the increasing number of pilgrims visiting the temple.

Officials said the removal of structurally unsafe buildings in the temple's surrounding area is also important from the perspective of crowd management and public safety.

The demolition of the Parchure Bhawan marks another step in the ongoing changes around the Mahakal Temple precinct, while the immediate focus remains on ensuring that old and unsafe structures do not pose a risk to devotees.

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.

The protest was against the demolition of 80 houses in Raipur's Naktī village to make way for an MLA colony; Congress leaders joined the agitation.

After an 11-hour sit-in outside the Raipur collectorate, residents of Naktī village called off their protest on Thursday following talks with administrative officials. However, they have issued a 24-hour ultimatum — if their demands are not met by Friday 11 am, they will launch an indefinite sit-in and a 'jail bharo' (go to jail) movement.

The protest was held against the demolition of 80 houses in Naktī village on Monday to make way for a proposed MLA colony. The affected families, supported by Congress leaders, staged the demonstration demanding rehabilitation and proper compensation.

On June 29, the administration demolished around 80 houses in Naktī village under Raipur's Mana area. The demolished structures reportedly included 32 houses built under PM Awas Yojana and Indira Awas Yojana.

The administration claimed that affected families have been offered rehabilitation in EWS (Economically Weaker Section) houses in Sector-30, Naya Raipur. However, villagers rejected this, saying the houses are too small for their families and lack basic facilities.

"We have been given houses, but they are so small that a family cannot live in them. There are no proper facilities," a protester told reporters.

Congress leaders, including Raipur district Congress functionaries, joined the protest. Saraypali Congress MLA Chaturinanda wrote to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, demanding that the MLA colony plan be scrapped or shifted to Naya Raipur.

"We are elected to give people a roof over their heads, not to take it away. We do not want such an MLA colony built by demolishing the homes of the poor," Chaturinanda said in his letter.

Congress MLA Kavita Lahre also wrote to the Chief Minister opposing the demolition. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel visited the affected families the day after the demolition and assured them of Congress support.

A year-old letter from Raipur MP Brijmohan Agrawal to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has gone viral on social media. In the letter, Agrawal had objected to the land selection for the MLA colony, stating that displacing the poor was not humane.

Notably, villagers had met Agrawal just two days before the demolition. The MP had assured them that no demolition would take place until the monsoon ended and that efforts were being made to find a middle ground.

Protesters are demanding:

- Immediate halt to the demolition drive

- Proper rehabilitation and compensation for affected families

- Alternative land for the MLA colony in Naya Raipur

MLA Chaturinanda has suggested that the government develop the MLA colony in Naya Raipur, where hundreds of acres of government land are available.

"Demolishing the homes of the poor to build luxury accommodations for public representatives is not right under any circumstances," he wrote.

Police had barricaded the collectorate and deployed additional forces to manage the protest. Officials held discussions with the protesters and convinced them to call off the sit-in temporarily.

The district administration has maintained that the demolition was carried out after following due process and that rehabilitation is being provided. However, villagers remain unsatisfied.

The situation is being closely watched as the 24-hour deadline approaches.