Training centre built by Magsaysay winner razed

Singh, who won the Magsaysay Award in 2000 for his water conservation campaign, claimed the government action was arbitrary as the land was donated by the panchayat for setting up a training centre for the local population. ‘‘It was the property of the people, not mine. I do not even take possession of the land allotted to me by the government. Where is the need to illegally occupy government land?” he asked.

The training centre had become a bone of contention between Singh and the district administration after local leaders started putting pressure on the government to demolish it. Several BJP leaders had visited the site over the past few weeks demanding action against Singh.

Singh’s fate was sealed in the second week of May when CM Vasundhara Raje visited the region and ordered an inquiry into the construction. On May 31, after conducting a hearing into the matter, the Tehsildar’s court ruled that the building was an encroachment on government land. It directed the activist to pull it down and imposed a penalty on him.

When Singh and his organisation Tarun Bharat Sangh refused to take action, the Alwar administration launched a demolition drive today and took possession of the land. TBS said the government action was an insult to the villagers.