Amidst intense protests, the Chhattisgarh government on Monday (June 29, 2026) demolished 77 houses that were allegedly built illegally on government land in Nakti village near Raipur.
“In the village of Sammanpur (Nakati) in the Dharsiwa development block, revenue, police, and municipal corporation staff conducted a joint operation today, demolishing 77 illegal houses built on approximately 9 hectares of government land….the said government land had been under illegal occupation for a long time. Prior to the action, the administration had issued notices to all encroachers as per the rules and also provided a final notice,” a government official said.
The area in question spans over 15 hectares and is situated less than five km from the Raipur airport, close to the developing administrative hub of Nava Raipur, where the Chief Minister’s residence and State Assembly are being shifted. This proximity makes it a potentially high-value real estate site. Last year, after eviction notices were first served, villagers had told The Hindu that they had inherited the land was preserved for common grazing in the village.
Even as the anti encroachment drive started early in the morning, angry villagers clashed with the police and government officials, even throwing stones at them. They said that the demolished houses included those that has been allotted under government schemes such as PM Aawas and Indira Aawas Yojana and the drive had been carried out without “properly rehabitating” the affected families, claimed villagers.
“My house is a government house, which I received under the Housing Scheme. The roof of my house was cast on the same day we received the notice to evict last year. We haven’t received the full amount for that Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme and haven’t lived in it for even six months.”
We were told we would get ₹1,20,000 for building the house, but we received only ₹1 lakh. We built the rest of the house by taking a loan of ₹2 to 2.5 lakh,” she said, adding that they had no place to stay.
According to the district administration, however, it was making arrangements for the accommodation of all the encroachers in the houses located in Sector-30 of Naya Raipur.
The villagers also claimed that the government was evicting them to build an MLA colony on that land and directed their anger towards the local MLA, Anuj Sharma of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr. Sharma said that no one was treated in an unjust manner and if government scheme houses were allotted, it needs to be examined separately.
Condemning the demolition exercise, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader T.S. Singh Deo wrote on X: “I condemn this insensitive action in Nakati village just before the rainy season. The government has lost its moral authority to govern by consistently undermining the interests of the citizens of Chhattisgarh.”
Published – June 30, 2026 11:09 am IST