Demanding inclusion of 10 lakh slum dwellers living in at least 1,100 slums spread over five excluded Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Brahmapur in the land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act 2017, a massive slum dwellers meet was held here on June 20.
More than 700 delegates from across the State of these corporations took part in the meeting, which was jointly organised by Mumbai- based Yuva, Bhubaneswar Basti Unayan Parishad, Odisha Basti Sangharsha Samiti and Slum Dwellers asociations of Cuttack, Brahmapur, Rourkela and Sambalpur.
While inaugurating the meet, Bhubaneswar North MlA Priyadarshi Mishra reiterated the Naveen Patnaik Government's commitment towards development of slum and inclusion of slum dwellers in various Government schemes.
Coordinator of Yuva in Odisha Sachikant Pradhan in his welcome address put forth that each and every slum dwellers must get at least 900 square feet land in lease basis. Separate land area should be demarcated in the master plan of cities for them, he demanded.
The Government should immediately go for setting up a Slum Welfare cum Development Board. Beneficiary Construction Content should be part of House Building Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Special Provisions for Disable, landless, and Kinnars, he said.
Pradeep Pradhan presented an analysis of the Act while Pratap Sahu and Ranjulata Mahapatra pointed out on various plights of slum population in cities.
Speakers in various sessions expressed concerns on the Odisha land Rights for Slum Dwellers Act 2017 which according to them is inadequate in many senses.
Among others, PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy, former Minister Panchanan Kanungo, CPM leader Suresh Panigrahy, CPI (Ml) leader Radhakant Shethy, scribe Sudarshan Chhotoray, Dhenkanal Displaced People's leader Debasish Hota, lawyers Khirod Rout, social activists Dhirendra Panda, Ghasiram Panda and Mumbai slum leader Raju Bhise also spoke.