Unrest in village near Raipur as residents get eviction notices for 'MLA colony'

More than 80 families living in Sammanpur village in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur have been staging protests for the last 10 days after they received eviction notices by the local administration stating that they have "illegally occupied" the land.

According to local residents, the land classified as shamilat charagah (pasture land denotes land reserved for common grazing) belonged to their forefathers, and of the total number of houses built there, around 30 were constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the flagship scheme of the Central government.

They claimed that now, the government plans to build a colony for legislators on the land in question. However, the administration has not confirmed the claim.

The villagers, particularly women with sticks in their hands, have been staging protests from 10.00 am-10.00 pm every day for the last 10 days inside a community hall in the village Sammanpur, also known by the name Nakti, located on the outskirts of the capital near Raipur airport.

Most of the villagers are daily wage labourers who live hand to mouth. One of them, Roshan Sahu, told PTI on Tuesday that on 17 April this year, Raipur tehsildars (revenue officials) served eviction notices to around 85 families who have been residing in the Bhatapara area on the outskirts of the village to vacate the land.

The eviction notices by the tehsildar said the land situated in khasra no. 460 measuring 15.4790 hectares (around 38 acres) in Nakti village of the district Raipur, has been encroached/occupied by the encroachers residing in Nakti Gram Panchayat. The order to evict the encroachers from the said land has been passed by this (tehsildar) court on 11 April 2025 under section 248 of the Land Revenue Code 195.

In the notice, the authorities asked the occupants to give up possession of the land, failing which the encroachment would be removed forcibly.

"The 38 acres of land on khasra no. 460 do not belong to the government and it has been classified as shamilat charagah in the land records and our forefathers are its owners. The names of owners are still mentioned in the land record. Since 1940, our forefathers have been owners of this land," Sahu said.

The land, the title of which was owned by Sahu's forefathers as he claimed, was given by them for use as common grazing land many decades ago as there was need of it in the village. "When the requirement of land arose for extended family members, the gram sabha decided to distribute this land among local residents who were in need. Those who have built houses here also include the descendants of those who were the owners of this land," he said.

In the last 35-40 years, around 85 families from the village shifted to this land, he added.

Of the total houses, around 30 were built under the PM housing scheme, while around 10 houses were being constructed under the scheme but were put on hold by the administration once the eviction notices were served, he said.

Electricity lines were laid by the government in the locality and tap water connections were laid under Jal Jeevan Mission by erecting two overhead plastic tanks in the village, he said. After spending several lakhs of rupees to provide various amenities in the area, the government now claims its residents are encroachers.

"When we contacted the local public representative and administration, they said the land would be used for the construction of an MLA colony," Sahu claimed. Sahu (32) said he was born in a house built on the same land, living there with his family since his birth.

Soni Yadav (36), a mother of three, stood before her home constructed under the Awas Yojana and said they were ready to sacrifice their lives but would not give up their ancestral land.

Newly-elected sarpanch of Nakti village panchayat Bihari Yadav (48) said the village has a population of around 2,500, and 85 families comprising around 350 people have received the eviction notice from the tehsildar for encroaching on government land, triggering the protest.

These families have been staying here for 30-40 years. The first notice for encroachment was served in 2023 when a private person wanted a road access to his land in the area and later, he was given the access.

"But on that basis, now the government wants to evict these villagers. Why did the government not wake up when facilities under different government schemes were sanctioned in the area?" Yadav said.

Speaking to PTI, Raipur collector Gaurav Singh on Tuesday said villagers were issued notices regarding encroachment seeking their replies, but since they did not appear before the competent authority, they were served eviction notices. "They can still approach a higher authority like the SDM court against the notice. Every action will be taken as per the rules," he added.

According to officials, local villagers and some of their relatives from other villages encroached on around 15 acres of the land in the last 10-15 years. Around 77 families have been issued eviction notices there, they said.