Raipur MP Brijmohan Agrawal on Saturday stepped into the eviction dispute in Nakti village, assuring affected residents that no family without an alternative shelter would be displaced until proper rehabilitation arrangements are made. The assurance came during a meeting attended by villagers, district administration and police officials. The intervention came a day after Nakti village in Raipur’s Mana area witnessed tense scenes during the district administration’s anti-encroachment drive. Residents of Wards 16 and 17 gathered in large numbers after receiving eviction notices and protested against the proposed eviction.

 

Villagers alleged that notices dated June 25 were pasted only on Friday, leaving them with little opportunity to present their objections or make alternative arrangements. As officials reached the spot to carry out the exercise, residents surrounded members of the district administration and police team, demanding that no eviction should be undertaken without a clearly defined rehabilitation plan. Heavy police deployment remained in the area while administrative and police officials attempted to persuade the protesters, who remained firm on their demand that rehabilitation must precede any displacement.

 

The administration maintained that the proposed action was being undertaken in accordance with the rules, while further action would be taken after an administrative decision. Addressing Saturday’s meeting, Agrawal said development should not come at the cost of rendering families homeless. “I had earlier conveyed my concerns to the Government on this issue and will once again discuss the matter with Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to arrive at a fair and practical solution,” he said. The MP directed the district administration not to proceed with any eviction until a comprehensive rehabilitation or alternative accommodation plan is finalised.

 

He said protecting families with no other place to live was the Government’s responsibility and urged officials to adopt a humane and consultative approach throughout the process. Agrawal also appealed to residents having alternative accommodation elsewhere to cooperate with the project so that rehabilitation benefits could be prioritised for genuinely landless and vulnerable families. He assured villagers that no injustice would be allowed and that the Government would work towards a balanced solution protecting both public development objectives and the rights of affected residents. The MP had earlier taken up the issue with the State Government and written to CM Vishnu Deo Sai, urging that the interests of affected families be safe