Alot (Madhya Pradesh): Residents of the colony developed on the 10-acre Ginning factory land are in a state of panic after the Ratlam district collector Kumar Purshottam declared the land as government land. Local sources claimed that the colony has been reportedly developed under the patronage of Congress MLA Manoj Chawla of Alot assembly constituency.
Earlier, BJP leaders from Alot tehsil had lodged a complaint with the collector claiming that the entire 10-acre colony on the ginning factory is illegal and had demanded an investigation into the matter. They too had claimed that the colony is being developed under the patronage of Congress MLA Manoj Chawla. Ratlam collector has declared the land as government land after conducting an inquiry into the matter.
Demand to develop bus stand on the land
The number of passenger vehicles is increasing day-by-day in the village, due to which the space at the Gandhi Chowk bus stand has ceased to be sufficient. Thus a demand has been raised that a new bus stand be built on this land. Various leaders including BJP Mandal president Vikram Singh Anjana, councillor Anil Bharwa had met the Collector and submitted a memorandum to the collector to this effect, days after all development work on the land had been stayed.
In the past too, the council had passed a proposal to build a bus stand on the land of the ginning factory located near Vikram Club. Despite this, the process of developing a residential colony on this land started about three years ago.
Thereafter, BJP leader Dinesh Kothari complained to the chief minister who instructed the local officials to look into the matter. Subsequently, the collector stayed all development activities on the land.
Alot has higher property rates than Indore!
Both undeveloped and developed colony plots and houses in Alot are being bought and sold at a higher rate than Indore. This has made it a pipe dream for poor people to own a plot in this colony. According to information, land deals are being done in Rajendra Chowk of Alot in the range of Rs 6000 to 15000 per square feet. Most of the colonies in the village have been built on the land given for the ginning factory.
Enroachments persist despite court verdict
In the last several years, the court had given verdicts against the encroachers at many places in the village. But the council has been unable to demolish the encroachments till now. But after the decision of the Ratlam collector, people are hopeful that encroachers will face action soon.
