Raipur’s Telibandha Chowk will retain its existing name and identity, while a separate “Seva Jyoti Sankalp Chowk” will be developed at a traffic island near the Ring Road-Telibandha police station tri-junction, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai clarified on Thursday.
The clarification followed objections from members of the Sahu community and political criticism after Sai announced that 38 chowks would be developed across Chhattisgarh as part of programmes marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 25 years as a head of government. The initial wording identified Telibandha Chowk among the locations, leading some residents and community representatives to interpret the proposal as a possible renaming of the existing landmark.
Sai said there should be no confusion over the proposal. Telibandha Chowk would continue with its current name, while the “Seva Jyoti Sankalp” development would proceed at a different location, according to the report.
The Raipur Municipal Corporation separately specified that the proposed chowk would refer only to the traffic island at the tri-junction near Ring Road and Telibandha police station. Officials said no proposal had been made to rename either of the existing chowks located on the two sides of Telibandha Talab.
The dispute brought attention to the administrative importance of names attached to urban junctions and public spaces. In this case, the Sahu community said Telibandha’s name was connected to its history, identity and social significance. Chhattisgarh Pradesh Sahu Sangh’s youth wing state president Shashikant Sahu said the community did not oppose the development of a “Seva Jyoti” landmark but wanted Telibandha’s existing identity to be preserved.
Former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel also opposed any change to the Telibandha name, saying it carried historical and social significance for the Teli-Sahu community. Community representatives later met Raipur mayor Meenal Choubey, after which the municipal corporation provided a more precise description of the proposed location.
The clarification distinguishes between developing a new civic landmark and altering the name of an established chowk. It also limits the proposal geographically to the traffic island near the tri-junction, rather than either of the existing junctions around Telibandha Talab.
Sai has stated that neither the name nor the original character of Telibandha Chowk will be changed. The municipal corporation’s clarification supports that position by identifying the proposed Seva Jyoti Chowk as a separate development at the Ring Road-Telibandha police station tri-junction.
