A new outfit was launched here on Saturday to address various issues relating to slum dwellers of different towns and cities of the State. The outfit Bhitamati O Basti Basinda Suraksha Mahasangha would design blueprints to launch various movements to highlight slum dwellers’ rights. It was formed by a group of likeminded activists led by journalists Rabi Das and Pradosh Patnaik.
A committee was also formed to carry out different works of the outfit. Bidyadhar Mohanty was chosen as convener of the committee while Brundaban Das Azad and Alaknath Mishra were selected as co-conveners. The committee has 62 members including Sura Jena, Dr Prashant Mishra, Anuradha Subudhi, Arun Jena, Jayant Das, Amarendu Mohanty and lalit Mohan Mishra. The committee members said they would put pressure on the Government to bring a law for protection of homelands of slum dwellers.
The committee decided to begin a campaign across the State from May 1 with the help of different slum dwellers’ organisations to make the dwellers understand about their rights. The campaign would continue till May 13. From May 14 to 31, the committee would stage dharnas at grassroots level against the Centre’s land Acquisition Bill. From June 14 to June 30, they would stage a State-wide Padyatra and hold a Mahasamabesh in Bhubaneswar in the first week of July.