Cuttack: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) directed the district Collector including Commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Wednesday for taking immediate measures to rehabilitate the slum dwellers of Balisahi area near Nuapada, who had been affected due to an ongoing road expansion in the city.
The OHRC direction came in response to a petition filed by human rights activist and the chairperson of Human Rights of India, Manoj Jena. The Commission also directed the authorities to submit detailed reports about the incident on the next hearing scheduled June 22.
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Notably, as many as 67 slum dwellers including 15 women were arrested May 13 morning in connection with an attack on some CMC staff and local policemen that had taken place May 11 at Nuapada Balisahi slum area under Madhupatna police limits in Cuttack.
Some staff of the civic body including a local police team had gone to Balisahi slum area on the intervening day after they received information that temporary tents which were constructed to accommodate hundreds of displaced slum dwellers had been blown away by strong Nor’wester wind that occurred May 11 afternoon.
Around 1,200 families had been evicted few days ago from the nearby slums located at Behera Sahi, Sagadia Sahi of Ranihat, Das Sahi of Pilgrim Road area and Jalua Sahi of Malgodown area to facilitate an ongoing expansion work of Taladanda canal road in the city.
PNN
