Relocated slum dwellers of Cuttack city in a fix over voting rights ahead of civic polls
CUTTACK: Over 10,000 people from different slums of the city, evicted and relocated as part of the ongoing SCB Medical College and Hospital expansion project are unsure whether they will be able to vote in the forthcoming Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) elections and avail the benefits of various government welfare schemes.
With the civic body and the district administration yet to correct the voters' list, the angst of the slum dwellers who were relocated to alternative locations, is increasing with each passing day. As per reports, different slums located in CMC's ward nos 35, 38 and 40 were demolished during the last one-and-a-half years for expansion of SCB.
There are over 10,000 eligible voters among the evicted slum dwellers who have been relocated at Nimpur in Jagatpur locality under ward no 48 and at Balisahi near Nuapada in ward no 51. "We have voter identity cards which mentions our former residential address. Now we have been shifted from Jobra in CMC’s ward no 40 to Nimasahi in ward no 48, a distance of around 10 km. We do not know where to cast our votes. We also apprehend that we may fail to avail government benefits as our names are yet to be included in the voters’ list of ward no.48," said Bishnu Naik, a slum dweller.
As per city based lawyers, it is illegal to reside in a ward and cast vote in another. The administration should facilitate the oustees to cast their votes in booths located at their present place of residence. If necessary the civic body should create new wards, they said.
Considering the plight of the relocated voters, former corporator of ward no 48 Nirod Chandra Panda has written to the election officer- cum-sub collector, Cuttack urging him to take necessary steps for correction of the voters’ list and allow the oustees to cast their votes at their present place of residence area and ensure they are able to avail different government benefits.
Sub-Collector, Pratap Beuria said the administration had held a meeting with all party representatives and advised them to extend a helping hand in correction of voters’ list of evicted and relocated voters.