Residents meet ex-MP over eviction in Odisha's Balangir

BALANGIR:  Following eviction drives being carried out in different parts of the town, locals of Surya Nagar here on Monday met chairman of the State Housing Board and former MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo and apprised him of their condition.

“During the civic body election, we were promised that we would not be displaced from our homes. However, every now and then some officials come to our locality and after marking the area, ask us to vacate our lands,” the locals complained.

After hearing their plight, Kalikesh, taking an indirect dig at Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra said the ‘people in power’ are behind such activities. Municipality chairperson Lika Sahu clarified that the municipal body was not behind the eviction drives.

“The department had rather passed an order not to demolish any house until residents are rehabilitated,” Sahu said adding, the eviction drive at Bibhuti pada was cancelled after residents appealed not to do so. Sahu further went on to say that the eviction drives are being carried out without the municipal body’s knowledge. 

Reacting to the statements MLA Narasingha Mishra retorted, “If I am behind the eviction drives here then what about such activities being carried out in Puri, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Sonepur?”