16 houses to be removed next week for underground Metro station

Indore: Sixteen houses in Piliyakhal locality will be demolished next week to pave way for a proposed underground Metro station near Bada Ganpati. The rehabilitation process for residents in Bada Ganpati area has accelerated as the project is gaining momentum. Senior administrative officials said, the Metro management has proposed shifting the affected families to flats built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the Tapti Complex at Rangwasa. It has deposited Rs 1.29 crore with the district administration for allotment of flats to 16 families currently residing in the area.
While official records list 16 families, residents claim that though there are 16 houses, a total of 28 families are living there. Affected residents, holding residential leases under the Rajiv Gandhi Ashray Mission, demanded that each of the 28 families be allotted an individual flat. Many residents work as daily wage labourers and porters. They expressed concerns that the distance to Rangwasa would make commuting to work and transporting children to school nearly impossible.Affected residents have expressed concern over relocation to Rangwasa, citing disruption to education of their children, many of whom are enrolled in private schools in Bada Ganpati and Kalani Nagar areas.Addressing these concerns, SDM Nidhi Verma stated that the displacement process is in its final stage. She assured families that the administration would facilitate admissions for children under the RTE scheme in schools near Rangwasa area to ensure their education is not disrupted. The flat allotment process is expected to be completed shortly by the civic body and Metro management.Despite the assurance, the affected people on Monday approached collector Shivam Verma and demanded that govt settle them near their residence. They also informed the collector about a suitable plot of land, which Verma termed insufficient to build an apartment.