Taking a cue from the western Odisha lawyers, around 4.5 lakh voters from 436 slums in the capital city have decided to refrain from voting in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections due in November-December this year in protest against the State Government’s lackadaisical attitude in addressing their basic issues.
Bhubaneswar Basti Samannwaya Samiti chairperson Pravati Nayak said, “To refrain from voting would be the best method to press our genuine demands. We think that once we boycott the ensuing polls then our demands will be addressed.”
“Before the 2000 Assembly elections, promises were made to the slum dwellers that they would be provided land pattas which was reiterated during the 2004 and 2009 elections and during the successive municipal elections. But after the elections are over, the ruling party forgets its commitments and treats the slum dwellers as a votebank to be used and forgotten. This is not acceptable. land rights must be provided to the slum dwellers,” said Nayak, who along with many others sat on a dharna in front of the State Assembly to press their demands.
This apart, the State Government’s apathy in not providing BPl cards to the eligible households in the slums is a major issue, added she.
“Five years ago, a 15-member delegation consisting of five BMC corporators, five slum chiefs and Central MlA Bijay Mohanty had visited various States to oversee the plans, procedures and provisions for providing permanent houses and land pattas to slum dwellers in those States spending lakhs of Government funds. But nothing has come out of it,” rued Nayak.
“We will meet the BMC Mayor and the Chief Minister on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) to apprise them about their commitments and our issues and seek a timeframe to address our demands. If their response does not satisfy us, we will boycott the municipal corporation polls,” she said.