Thousands of slum dwellers on Tuesday staged a mammoth rally in front of the State Assembly here demanding rehabilitation and resettlement of slum dwellers in the State.
Under the banner of Basti Basinda Milita Manch, Odisha, several slum outfits like Basti Suraksha Manch led by Pramila Behera, Slum Dwellers and Street Vendors of Cuttack led by Sk Abdulla, Jhopad Pati Mahasangh of Cuttack led by Brundaban Das Azad, Basti Suraksha Manch led by Ramachandra Sahu, Puri Slum Dwellers Group leader Mamata Pradhan and others attended the rally.
The slum dwellers came in a procession starting from the Master Canteen Square and staged demonstration at the lower PMG protesting the State Government’s apathetic attitude towards slum people. Among the participants, more than 50 per cent were women and children, who are suffering a lot of troubles due to slum eviction without any prior declaration and rehabilitation.
Besides the slum leaders, human rights activist and advisor of the Milita Manch Biswapriya Kanungo, communist leader Shivaram, Dalit leader Ashok Mallik, rights activist Narendra Mohanty of the Banabasi Surakshya Parisad, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan convener Pradeep Pradhan, Bhitamati Suraksha Manch leader Arun Jena and other prominent leaders addressed the gathering in front of the State Assembly.
They all spoke against the anti-people policies of the State and demanded to stop introducing the proposed the Anti-Encroachment Bill, rehabilitation under the Rajiv Awas Yojana before any eviction of slum dwellers, total ban on slum eviction, proper implementation of the previous orders passed by the High Court as well as Supreme Court on slum dwellers.