Bulldozer drive falls flat as Motinagar encroachments return within days of demolition

 

 

Despite a large-scale bulldozer operation carried out by the administration in Motinagar Basti on February 9, encroachment in the capital city, Bhopal, has not been fully curbed. The 40-year-old Subhash Nagar Market was razed, demolishing 110 permanent shops and surrounding encroached structures. This action was deemed necessary for the construction of the third lane of the Subhash Nagar ROB (Road Over Bridge) and the fourth railway line. The administration had deployed heavy police force and machinery for the operation. However, merely two days after the action, people in Motinagar Basti began setting up their shops again.

 

Local residents State that small stalls and temporary shops have reappeared in their old form, precisely where the administration had, with much fanfare, demolished structures. Residents allege that the municipal corporation and administrative teams no longer conduct regular patrols in the area, leading to a resurgence of encroachments. A local shopkeeper sarcastically remarked, “The administration made such a huge spectacle, but now their attention has shifted away from here.” Surprisingly, neither the bridge construction nor any work on the railway track expansion has commenced since the bulldozer action.

 

The administration had claimed that this project would alleviate the city’s traffic problems, but local residents assert that neither tangible progress is visible nor is the administration taking any steps in that direction. A resident stated, “They ran the bulldozers, but now they’ve forgotten about building the bridge. It’s back to the old state of affairs.” Renewed encroachments in Motinagar Basti have become a topic of discussion among locals. People are questioning why the administration remains silent after such a large-scale operation. In response, Additional Commissioner Varun Awasthi stated that he had already received information about this and action would be taken soon. He assured that no encroacher would be spared.