MP's Ujjain Bulldozer Action Intensifies! Fourth Ashram Construction Demolished In 15 Days, 20 More Structures Identified

On a recent Sunday in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) intensified its crackdown on new constructions in the Simhastha area. Within a span of four days, the UMC demolished two halls belonging to the Shri Siddh Mahadev Sukrit Sanskrit Trust. This marks the fourth demolition drive against ashram and monastery constructions in just 15 days.

Around 5 am, a UMC team, armed with a Poclain excavator, arrived at the construction site located along Lalpul-Narsing Ghat Road. The team demolished the two halls after giving the trust officials time to remove their belongings. Should the removal not take place, further action was to be taken. The trust, headed by Suresh Shahra from Indore, was constructing the building along with his family members Manish and Nitesh Shahra.

Prior to this, the trust had received two notices from authorities in January, but they did not respond, leading to the demolition. The trust owns around 1.5 bighas of land, approximately 33,750 square feet, on which a 50-by-100-foot area was being developed. The two-storey building had two halls on the ground floor and rooms on the upper floor, with columns and beams installed for further construction.

The demolition has sparked discussions over delays in enforcement actions. Several other structures, ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 square feet, have been under construction for one to two years. The demolished buildings include a two-storey structure covering 10,000 square feet at Madhavanand Ashram, a 8,000 square feet building at Shri Swami Sandipendra Ashram, and a four-storey building associated with Swami Jyoti Giri at Haryana Seva Ashram.