Lucknow: Authorities on Tuesday carried out a seven-hour demolition drive at the 185-year-old Noori Masjid in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a highway widening project on the Banda-Bahraich route. 

About The Action

The action, involving five bulldozers, began at 8 am and continued until 3 pm, during which a portion of the mosque was also razed. Heavy security was deployed, including forces from multiple police stations, DSP-level officers, and a Rapid Action Force (RAF) unit. The area around the mosque in Lalauli town was sealed off within a 500-meter radius, and around 25,000 residents were reportedly restricted to their homes during the operation.

Drone cameras monitored the area to ensure the situation remained under control. Following the demolition, the encroachment debris was cleared, allowing the BandaKanpur road to reopen after being closed for six hours.

The Public Works Department (PWD) issued a notice to the mosque committee on August 17, asking them to remove the alleged encroachment voluntarily. However, the committee sought a month’s time but failed to act within the stipulated period. The mosque committee then moved the High Court, asserting that Noori Masjid, built in 1839, had not encroached on public land. A hearing on the case scheduled for December 6 was postponed to December 13.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal on Tuesday said that a revamped National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) will be launched soon.

Interacting with media persons here, the union minister said that a pilot project is underway in 25 cities and its outcome will help shape the revamped National Urban Livelihoods Mission.

The minister reaffirmed the central government’s commitment to working in partnership with state governments by providing budgetary support, workforce training, and advanced technologies to foster urban development.

Rs 13,422 crore under PM Svanidhi Scheme

Under the PM Svanidhi Scheme, the total amount of loans disbursed amounts to Rs 13,422 crore, an official release said.

He said that investments in the urban sector have grown 16 times, from approximately Rs 1,78,053 crore between 2004 and 2014 to Rs 28,52,527 crore since 2014.

The Union Minister said that the increased investments underscore the government’s commitment to achieving the goal of Vikshit Bharat by 2047. He emphasised that the accelerating rate of urbanisation has made urban development a cornerstone of India’s growth strategy.

Over the past six months, urban development schemes have been expanded and implemented with greater speed and efficiency, the minister said.

Creation of 4,649 MLD water treatment capacity under AMRUT

Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), the Union Minister listed several significant achievements, including the creation of 4,649 MLD of water treatment capacity and 4,429 MLD of sewage treatment capacity.

Under AMRUT 2.0, the government is prioritising stormwater drainage systems to address waterlogging challenges, alongside continuing efforts to enhance drinking water availability and sewerage systems.

Projects worth Rs 2.73 lakh crore under AMRUT mission

Under the AMRUT Mission, a total of Rs 2.73 lakh crores worth of projects have been sanctioned between 2014 and 2024 of which Rs 1.03 lakh crore is central assistance, as per the official figures.

The release said that overall works worth around Rs 96,970 crore have been physically completed.

Manohar Lal announced that the New Cities Scheme has been conceptualised to manage the pressures of rapid urbanisation. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, since June 9 2024, the government has released more than Rs 1,123 crore.

Over the past six months since June 9, two major dumpsites in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad have been completely remediated, successfully addressing approximately 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste, according to the release.

Leaders of some INDIA bloc parties on Monday protested in Parliament complex over the Adani row, with Rahul Gandhi conducting a mock ‘interview’ over the issue with Congress members wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani Standing outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with MPs of other opposition parties raised slogans of “Modi, Adani ek hain” and “we want justice”.

After sloganeering, Rahul Gandhi conducted the mock ‘interview’ with Congress leaders wearing masks of Modi and Adani.

Gandhi asked the party member sporting mask of Adani why Parliament was not being allowed to function to which the Congress MP (posing as Adani) said “we’ll have to ask Amit bhai…that man is missing”. Asked by Gandhi about the relationship between the two, the Congress MP said, “We are together”.

The Congress leader sporting mask of Adani also said, “He does whatever I say and want… be it airport or anything else.” On why Modi was silent, the Congress MP posing as Adani said, “this man is in tension these days”, evoking laughter around.

Asked what was his next plan and what he proposed to buy now, the Congress MP wearing the Adani mask said, “we have not decided yet. We have a meeting this evening.” The Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Aam Aadmi Party were not part of the protest.

However, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said nothing much should be read into the absence of some leaders and asserted “all is well” in the opposition bloc.

MPs of the Left, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD and NCP were among those who raised slogans and demanded a discussion and a probe into the Adani Group.

The protest took place in front of the steps of Parliament’s Makar Dwar and not on the steps leading to it following an advisory by the Lok Sabha Secretariat not to protest on the steps.

The opposition protests on the Adani issue have been taking place inside Parliament complex ever since the start of the winter session.

The Congress and some other opposition parties have been demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe following the indictment of Adani and other company officials in a US court.

The Congress has said Adani’s indictment “vindicates” its demand for a JPC probe into the various “scams” involving the billionaire industrialist’s conglomerate. Rahul Gandhi has sought Adani’s immediate arrest. The Adani Group has dismissed all allegations as “baseless”.