Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Old Bhopal residents continue to protest the proposed shifting of Collectorate from the Old Secretariat to Professor Colony.
They fear that several offices, including the SP Office, Lokayukta, Minority Commission, and the Registrar for Firms and Societies, might be relocated from Old Secretariat campus for utilization of land re-densification.
The protest gained momentum after Bhopal MP Alok Sharma expressed his concern, following which residents took to the streets to voice their opposition.
They also demand re-location of various offices like RTO, BMC, and others that were moved to New Bhopal, to their original locations. Currently, the Old Secretariat campus, which spans an area of 4 hectares (10 acres) excluding the Lokayukta office, houses several important government offices.
These include the Bhopal Collectorate (Block-A), the SP Office, Divisional Commissioner, Tehsildar’s Office, Social Justice Office, Minority Commission, Registrar for Firms and Societies, Treasury, and Lokayukta (Block-F).
However, residents have pointed out that the existing space could be better utilised by removing the Mother India Colony, which is currently a slum area. They have suggested that the SP Office be relocated to the Police Control Room area, and the Lokayukta office be moved closer to the District Court.
DIFFERENT VOICES
“The government should remove the encroachments behind the Collectorate, as there is enough space for the re-densification plan. Shifting the Collectorate to Professor Colony will overcrowd the area, which is already a low-density zone, with the CM House and Raj Bhavan nearby”
Nasir Islam
Resident of Idgah Hills
“We oppose the shifting of the Bhopal Collectorate office from Old Bhopal to Professor Colony, which is already a low-density area. The current site at Old Secretariat has enough space for the re-densification plan. If necessary, other offices such as the SP Office, Registrar of Firms and Societies, and the Minority Commission should be relocated to other places.” K
ailash Begwani
General Secretary of Hindu Utsav Samiti
“The Old Secretariat covers 4 hectares of land, excluding the Lokayukta office. The campus houses the Collector’s office, SP office, Divisional Commissioner’s office, and other offices. As for the plan regarding the shifting and re-densification, it depends on the government’s decision.”
Aditya Jain
SDM (Bairagarh)
