Basti Suraksha Manch has urged Odisha’s urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra to grant land rights to slum residents, halt forced evictions and ensure rehabilitation based on legal entitlements rather than relocation to multi-storey apartments.
A seven-member delegation led by forum president Hena and general secretary Pramila Behera submitted a memorandum to Mahapatra in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Several slum residents gathered outside the minister’s residence in support of the demands. The minister received the memorandum and assured the delegation that he would look into the matter.
The forum demanded that slum residents in municipal councils and notified area councils be granted land rights under the Odisha Land Rights Act, 2017. For settlements within municipal corporation areas, it sought stronger legal protection under Schedule 21 of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act.
The organisation called for an immediate halt to forced evictions, stating that no slum resident should be displaced without due legal process, determination of rights and prior rehabilitation. It also demanded a survey of all uncovered slums so that residents and settlements not included in existing records can be identified.
According to the memorandum, any displacement should be preceded by dignified rehabilitation on suitable land. Where required, housing should be provided near residents’ workplaces to protect livelihoods. The forum opposed the unilateral implementation of schemes such as Sahayog Plus as alternatives to legal land entitlements, arguing that welfare programmes should not replace statutory rights.
The memorandum raised specific concerns over Narayani Basti’s Bachelor Barrack in Bhubaneswar. The forum alleged that the land rights of Dalit residents should not be violated for the construction of Pramod Udyan. It also sought a transparent survey, determination of rights and rehabilitation for families likely to be affected by the Daya West Canal project.
Alongside land and rehabilitation claims, the group demanded drinking water, roads, drainage and electricity in slum settlements. It urged the government to consult organisations working with slum residents before framing policies or taking up projects that affect them.
The forum also sought reservation of 10% of land in newly included urban areas for socially and economically weaker families under the Odisha Development Authority Act. It asked the government to convene a high-level meeting and announce a clear action plan.
Pramila said the organisation was not opposed to development but objected to poor, Dalit and unorganised worker families being made homeless through evictions. “Let development happen, but not by sacrificing the housing rights of workers. Let parks be built, but not by ignoring the land rights of Dalits. Slum residents should be given rights, not sympathy,” she said.
The minister’s assurance to examine the memorandum is the immediate official response recorded after the delegation’s meeting. The forum is seeking a high-level government meeting and a defined action plan on land rights, surveys, rehabilitation and basic services.
