Puri: Hundreds of women residents of Baseli Sahi in Holy City, Sunday, staged a dharna near the south gate of Srimandir protesting the acquisition of their houses coming under the proposed 75-metre radius of security corridor around the 12th century shrine.
The women protesters questioned the state government’s decision to acquire so much land around the temple and said they will not shift from their ancestral house under any circumstances.
“We also do not believe that the government would provide six hundred houses for the displaced families as announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, they said. The families ousted on earlier occasions are yet to get their compensation money, the women demonstrators pointed out.
They also expressed their anger over the remark of Supreme Court-appointed Amicus Curiae Ranjit Kumar giving a green signal to the demolition drive of the government without paying heed to their grievances.
The women said although they have not yet received any notice but maintained that if the 75-metre norm was worked out then their houses would come under the demolition zone.