Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 6: The unusual delay in rehabilitating nearly 600 slum-dwellers residing adjacent to platform-4 of city railway station is affecting the station’s expansion plan, conceived by the East coast railway (ECoR).
The railways had urged the state government to remove encroachments and relocate around 600 people living in Banaphoola basti, Reddy basti, Pradhansahi basti, Gopabandhu Leprosy and Beherasahi basti to lay two rail lines and build platforms.
The expansion project (Cuttack-Puri side) holds importance as it would facilitate smoother function in view of upcoming Nabakalebar festival during which at least 60 special trains would be rolled out. Over five millions people are expected to congregate in the holy city of Puri from various parts of the state and country.
As the rehabilitation of identified slum-dweller is consistently getting delayed, the fate of poor people hangs in balance mainly because of the alleged callousness of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The BMC is yet to identify a temporary transit shelter for the people who would be shifted to the shelter and later provided permanent rehab in Patia area.
It was learnt that the compensation to be paid to the affected oustees has become the bone of contention between the ECoR and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).
At a recent meeting chaired by BDA vice chairman Krishan Kumar, it was suggested that instead of BDA, the ECoR should pay a compensation of `24,000 per family to the slum-dwellers. However the issue is yet to be resolved by both the stakeholders.
According to reliable sources, the state had agreed to pay the compensation from the state capital region development corpus fund (SCRDP).
Sources have indicated that BMC had tried to relocate slum-dwellers at Raghunathpur village on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar but soon the move fizzled out as villagers did not agree to shift to the new location.
When asked, BMC deputy officer-cum-project officer (JNNURM) Srimant Mishra said a temporary shelter is being identified by the BMC to shift the affected families enlisted by the civic body.
“It would take some time to find a permanent site where slum dwellers would be permanently rehabilitated,” he added.
