'Provide Houses or We Move into Commissioner's Home': 200 Chandola Demolition Victims Protest at Sabarmati Riverfront House
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
More than 200 displaced residents of Ahmedabad’s Chandola Lake protested at the Sabarmati Riverfront House on Thursday, demanding immediate housing allotment and ₹10,000 monthly rent allowance.
Led by Danilimda Congress corporator and former opposition leader Shehzad Khan Pathan, the protesters sat outside the Municipal Commissioner’s office holding banners after police locked the gates of the building, preventing them from meeting the civic chief.
The protest comes 18 months after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) demolished residential structures around Chandola Lake. Though the civic body subsequently conducted verification drives and collected forms to allot alternative housing to eligible Indian citizens, residents say not a single house has been allocated even six months after completing the paperwork.
Demands for Rent and Threat of Escalation
A year and a half ago, houses of Indian citizens along with Bangladeshis were demolished in the Chandola Lake area, Pathan said. A resolution was also passed in the High Court and the Standing Committee regarding housing for Indian citizens, but so far not a single person has been allotted a house.
Pathan warned that if the administration fails to act promptly, the displaced residents will escalate their agitation next month by moving directly into the Municipal Commissioner's official residence with their belongings.
Allegations of Irregularities
The opposition leader alleged widespread corruption in the execution of civic housing schemes, claiming the administration was favoring private developers over displaced families.
"There are irregularities in providing houses under the housing scheme," Shehzad Khan Pathan said. "The poor are not getting their rights, and private builders are earning crores of rupees in collusion with the Housing Department."
The AMC has not yet issued an official response regarding the delay in the housing allotment process or the demands raised during Thursday's demonstration.
