Mohan Yadav swings pickaxe at own home as part of road-widening project

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday personally wielded a pickaxe to begin the demolition of a portion of his ancestral house in Ujjain’s Abdalpura locality as part of a road-widening project being undertaken ahead of Simhastha 2028.

Yadav, a native of Abdalpura, reached his ancestral house at around 10 am and performed a puja before formally launching the widening work. He then picked up a pickaxe and struck the structure himself, marking the beginning of the demolition.

The road from Khajur Wali Masjid to Jiwajiganj police station in Ujjain’s old city area is being widened to 32 feet. As many as 272 houses lie along the stretch.

Residents from different communities have voluntarily agreed to surrender portions of their properties for the project.

The initiative is being seen as an example of public participation in the city’s infrastructure and beautification works ahead of Simhastha 2028.

Local resident Kadar Bhai said widening the road would fulfil a long-standing demand, as the existing narrow stretch often made vehicular movement difficult. He said residents on both sides of the road had willingly agreed to provide space for the project.

Pawan Panchal, who lives next to Yadav’s ancestral house, said the wider road would improve connectivity and benefit local businesses. He said better access could also increase the value of shops and residential properties in the area.

Yadav’s sister, Kalawati Yadav, the presiding officer of the Ujjain Municipal Corporation, also owns a house on the same stretch, which falls within the widening corridor.

Narendra Jain, who runs a milk shop in the locality, said the demolition of properties belonging to the chief minister and his family had sent a message that the development exercise applied equally to residents. He said people from different sections of society were participating in the Simhastha-related works.

Former councillor Jagdish Panchal said the project would improve the area’s appearance and create better facilities for the large number of pilgrims and tourists expected to visit Ujjain during Simhastha.

Abdalpura is among Ujjain’s oldest settlements, and the road connects Khajur Wali Masjid with Jiwajiganj police station. The widening is part of a broader infrastructure push to improve traffic movement and civic facilities across the city ahead of Simhastha 2028.