Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Monday initiated a major anti-encroachment drive to clear a 60-foot-wide proposed Master Plan road. The corporation's removal department dismantled 95 structural obstacles blocking the stretch connecting the Gutkeshwar Mahadev Temple to Sadar Bazaar road, spanning across municipal zones 1, 3, and 20. The new road aims to link Sadar Bazaar directly to VIP Road, bypassing current traffic bottlenecks at Marimata Square and Subhash Marg.
Deployment of Resources
Removal official Ankesh Birthariya stated that nine hydraulic excavators, five earthmovers, and a team of over 100 municipal workers were deployed at the spot for the drive. The large-scale operation was executed to ensure smooth clearance of the proposed road alignment.
Protests by Affected Residents
The demolition process triggered protests from affected residents, who alleged that four-generation-old ancestral houses were being dismantled without proper alternative housing or land allocations. Residents, including elderly individuals, claimed that the civic body acted without compensating them with plots or flats, despite formal notices being served prior to the drive. Affected property owners requested immediate government rehabilitation into municipal flats or alternative plots.
Political Reaction
City Congress president and leader of opposition in IMC, Chintu Choukse, visited the site to support the displaced families. He criticized the administration for executing the drive without established resettlement plans.
Compensation Policy
For prior road widening projects in Chhawani, IMC had announced the use of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificates to compensate landholders whose legal properties were acquired. Corporation Commissioner Kshitij Singhal previously stated that TDR certificates allow affected owners to utilize additional floor area ratio (FAR) on their remaining plots or sell the certificates within IMC limits based on current Collector guideline rates. However, affected residents at the Gutkeshwar site claimed they have not yet received equivalent compensation structures.
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