Betul: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district demolished part of a school under construction in Dhaba village on Tuesday after a campaign alleged the structure was an unauthorised madrasa, triggering anxiety among students and parents who had hoped to enrol there, Maktoob media reported.
The private school, being built by local resident Abdul Naeem, was intended to serve students from nursery to Class 8. Naeem said he had invested nearly Rs20 lakh—raised through loans and family savings—to set up the school on his private land, aiming to reduce the long daily commute faced by children from Dhaba village and nearby Adivasi hamlets.
Residents currently send their children several kilometres away to attend school. Naeem said the project was meant to bring education closer to home. “This was built so children wouldn’t have to travel far every day,” he told Maktoob, adding that officials suddenly began raising objections despite the construction being on private land.
Rumours surfaced last week claiming the building was an unauthorised madrasa, a charge Naeem strongly denied. He pointed out that only three Muslim families live in the village and said the building was incomplete, with no students or classes operating. “How could it be a madrasa?” he asked.
Students who were planning to enrol said the demolition has left them uncertain. One student from a nearby hamlet said the school would have saved hours of travel each day. Parents echoed similar concerns, saying the school would have reduced transport costs and safety risks for young children.
An Adivasi youth from the village, whose relatives were set to attend the school, said the authorities first cited the madrasa allegation and later shifted to claims of missing permissions. “If there was a paperwork issue, they could have given time,” he was quoted as saying.
On Sunday, the village panchayat issued Naeem a demolition notice citing lack of permission. Following protests by villagers, the panchayat issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) on Monday. The sarpanch later said she had received no complaint alleging that the structure was an unauthorised madrasa.
Despite this, part of the building was demolished on Tuesday while Naeem and villagers were meeting the district collector.
Sub-divisional magistrate Ajit Maravi said the demolition followed a panchayat complaint alleging encroachment. He claimed a verification found that a portion of the construction fell on encroached land and said only that section was removed.
Naeem disputed the claim, saying he had obtained the panchayat NOC and had applied for approval from the education department. He said he was willing to pay any penalty but pleaded that the building not be demolished.
Activist Hemant, also known as Sonu, who accompanied villagers during protests, told Maktoob the incident showed administrative haste. “Once the word ‘madrasa’ spread, everything changed,” he said, adding that the demolition went ahead despite the issuance of the NOC.
