These families claim that they had been living in the slum for more than 40 years. Noted human rights campaigner, Akhand had filed a petition with NHRC protesting the eviction of the slum dwellers. The Petitioner had pointed out that the district administration had evicted the slum dwellers to facilitate the construction of a railway project on the land. However neither the administration nor the railway authorities took any measures, alleged the petitioner.
“The education of hundred school going children of the evicted slum dwellers was affected by the eviction drive. Even many persons including women had been beaten by the police during the forceful eviction, alleged Akhand.
Earlier, NHRC had directed the Puri Collector to arrange for demarcation of Government land jointly with Railway officials at Maltipattapur in exchange of the Railway land at Puri. This time Commission has ordered the district collector to file report about the “status of handing over of possession of land at Puri to the Govt. of Odisha for construction of houses through Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna for rehabilitation and resettlement of the Bali Upara slum dwellers at Mouza Balukhanda.”