Part of 'illegal' building razed in MP village
Authorities dismiss reports of operating madrasa or school
Betul (MP) (PTI): The Betul district administration has demolished an illegal portion of a building for not completing formalities, rejecting reports that rumours of a madrasa or a school being operated from the structure prompted the action.
A team led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ajit Maravi razed the building's shed constructed with iron sheets in Dhaba village under Bhainsdehi tehsil on Tuesday.
The building's owner, Abdul Naeem, and villagers had complained to Betul Collector Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi against the action.
The collector, however, emphasised that the action followed legal provisions, clarifying that neither a school nor a madrasa was operated in the building.
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"The construction (of the building) is completely illegal as a mandatory NOC from the Panchayat was not obtained. The Gram Panchayat had issued three notices to demolish the structure under the Panchayat Raj Act and passed a formal order. If such a large structure is being built, it is essential to follow the rules," Suryavanshi told PTI on Wednesday.
The collector stated that administrative support was requested to remove the encroachment, and it was provided, adding that illegal activities won't be protected.
Naeem said he had constructed the building using his own resources to operate classes from nursery to eighth grade for local children.
According to Naeem, he had submitted an application to the Education Department for permission to operate the school on December 30.
Naeem said he was willing to pay a fine if any violations were committed, but the building should not be demolished under any circumstances. He had threatened to commit suicide if the structure was razed.
Local villagers said a rumour spread that Naeem had built an illegal madrasa and was providing unauthorised education to children.
However, the SDM, Tehsildar, and the Police Station Officer found nothing of the sort during their investigation. Villagers also said that the officials had asked Naeem to obtain an NOC from the Panchayat.
Naeem, however, said he was unaware that a clearance was required from the Panchayat.
He said the Panchayat issued a demolition notice on January 11. However, amid protests by villagers, the Sarpanch hastily issued the NOC for the building.
The collector, meanwhile, said the NOC was written by the Sarpanch, which is not acceptable.
"The NOC should have been signed by the Secretary, as he is the Panchayat's executive," he said.
He emphasised that neither a school nor a madrasa was being operated from the building, and the action followed due to non-compliance with set procedures.
Ramesh alias Sonu Panse, a resident of Dhaba village and a Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) worker, dismissed reports that madrasa-like activities were taking place.
The village has a population of 2,000, including only four Muslim families, he said, adding that locals were against the demolition action as they wanted their children to receive quality education at the local level.
Panse also said that the school was being built with the villagers' consent.
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Foreign Secretary Misri reviews defence, trade ties, West Asia with senior US officials
Washington (PTI): India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met senior US officials here and discussed ways to further deepen the defence and trade relations and exchanged views on the developments in the Indo-Pacific and West Asia.
On a three-day visit here, Misri met under secretaries Michael Duffey and Elbridge Colby in the Department of Defence, and under secretaries Jeffrey Kessler and William Kimmitt in the Department of Commerce.
“Sustaining the momentum of India-US defence exchanges, Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri had another wide ranging conversation with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby @USWPColby at the Pentagon, covering the ongoing developments in the Indo-Pacific region and West Asia,” the Indian Embassy in the US said in a post on X.
Colby visited India last month and met Misri in New Delhi on the sidelines of the India-US Defence Policy Group meeting.
Misri also had a “fruitful interaction” with Duffey, the Under Secretary in the Department of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, at the Pentagon near here.
“Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri had a fruitful interaction with the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Mike Duffey @USDASDuffey at the Pentagon,” the Indian Embassy said in another post on X.
The two principals discussed ways to further deepen the defence industrial, technology and supply chain linkages between India and the US, in line with the ambitious goals laid out in the Framework for the bilateral Major Defence Partnership signed last year, the embassy said.
Misri also met under secretaries Jeffrey Kessler and William Kimmitt in the Department of Commerce here.
Kessler is the Under Secretary for Bureau of Industry and Security, while Kimmitt is the Under Secretary for International Trade Administration.
“Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri met Under Secretaries Jeffrey Kessler @BISgov and William Kimmitt @TradeGov to expand cooperation in commercial and critical technologies – key to transforming the India-US partnership for the 21st century. They also discussed building resilient and trusted supply chains,” the embassy said.
Misri is visiting the US to review bilateral trade and defence relations and discuss global developments, including the crisis in West Asia.
His visit comes as both the US and India work to stabilise the ties after a spell of uncertainty and strain.
The relations witnessed a major downturn after the US imposed punitive tariffs on India, and President Donald Trump made controversial assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes last May.
