A plush Mall, with an area upwards of 40 thousand square feet, was brought down using dynamite in Bhopal. The Mall was owned by a builder, who also owns a chain of Hindi dailies and local TV channels. The owner was a builder before he ventured into the media business. He mainly built residential colonies. Those who purchased houses in his colonies were more than satisfied with the quality of construction. He also built a huge Mall. Hundreds of small businessmen bought space in the Mall to locate their offices and showrooms. Some invested their life’s savings in buying space in the costly Mall.

Besides demolishing a major part of the Mall, the authorities also served notices on the owners of over 100 residential houses in the colony developed by the builder. The residents claim that they have all the relevant papers to prove that they were bonafide owners of the property they were occupying. But the administration is unconvinced. The houses may be razed to the ground any day and the residents are living in a state of perpetual fear.

The authorities have also launched a drive to remove roadside encroachments in Bhopal. Thousands of petty businessmen, vehicle mechanics and roadside vendors of eatables, wares and services, who were somehow eking their living, have been deprived of their livelihood. They are on the brink of starvation. Most of the affected persons were not forewarned.

The municipal squads reached a place suddenly and started throwing the goods of the alleged encroachers on the road. Even Milk parlours were not spared. One such Parlour was in existence for more than twenty years.

The drive has sparked off a heated debate. In case of massive structures like the Mall that was demolished, why action was not initiated when the foundation was laid, it is being asked. What was the point in waiting till the construction was complete, the space was sold out and people start living or working from there? Why should the officials who permitted huge commercial structures—declared illegal years later---should not be penalised? Why did the authorities remain a mute witness when the construction was going on and when the building was being occupied? Ironically, now the government has spent Rs. 25 lakhs on demolishing the building.

The questions being asked are why, after almost ten years, the government has decided to demolish the structure? And how and why the government continued to realise various taxes from the occupants of an illegal structure?

No one knows whether anybody will be punished for the lapses. Another question being asked is whether it was because of the political support enjoyed by the newspaper owner that no action could be taken against him, notwithstanding the fact that it was a well-known fact that he was guilty of flouting rules and regulations. Thus, the massive demolition is being perceived as a political action, rather than an act to punish someone who had illegally grabbed government land.

Another event of consequence was the election of the office bearers of the MP Youth Congress. The election, held on May 12, aroused great interest among the rank and file of the Youth Congress. The Youth Congress activists in their thousands reached Bhopal to participate in the voting. A young MLA Priyavrat Singh was elected as the MP Youth Congress chief. He is reported to be a follower of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh. With this, Digvijay Singh has emerged as the undisputed supremo of the MP Congress. The state party chief Kantilal Bhuria and the leader of opposition Rahul Singh are also his close confidants. (IPA)